What usually comes to mind when one hears about radiation is nuclear energy or anything that is radioactive. But few realize that radiation has numerous benefits, and agriculture is one of the areas that largely gain from it.

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology which is the sole agency of the government that advances and regulates the safe and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in the country, identifies agriculture and natural resources as among its priority areas.

Researchers from PNRI have been developing improved crop varieties through mutation, a non-conventional method of plant breeding which uses mutational agents (mutagens) such as radiation or chemicals e.g. ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS).

At a recent press briefing on nuclear energy application in Morong, Bataan, Estelita Cabalfin, consultant of PNRI, said that radiation can induce hereditary changes, or mutations, in treated/irradiated planting materials that will result in mutants with desirable attributes. These, she said, will be selected and developed as new varieties.

Using mutation breeding, PNRI was able to produce mutant selections of rice, mungbean and foliage ornamentals that are now planted by farmers in the Philippines.

Among the rice varieties developed are PARC-2, Milagrosa mutant, Azmil mutant, Bengawan mutant, Sigadis Milagrosa mutant, Denorado, Perurutong NBB, and Malagkit Sungsong.

For mungbean, there are the PAEC-1, PAEC-2, PAEC-3, PAEC-5, PAEC-9 and PAEC-10.

PNRI also developed Murraya ‘Ibarra Santos’, a dwarf, slow growing but floriferous mutant from Murraya paniculata (locally known as Kamuning). Other ornamentals developed also include the chlorophyll mutants Dracaena ‘Marea’ from Dracaena sanderana, and the now commercialized Cordyline ‘Medina’ from Ti Plant Cordyline fruticosa.

In addition to the mutant varieties that were developed, PNRI also continues to produce mutant rice, legumes, high-value fruit crops and ornamentals that are now being evaluated before these are released for commercialization.

The PNRI also developed the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control the population of fruitfly that affects crops at fruiting stage. The technique involves exposure of male pupae to radiation which makes them sterile. These are then released to the wild and become adult insect. So even when the sterile male fruitfly mates with female fruitflies, they will not produce offspring, hence there is no multiplication. “In the end, you reduce the population of the insect,” says Cabalfin.

Cabalfin said SIT is widely used in Japan and California where there are orchards of fruit trees. Here in the Philippines, the technology has been tried in Guimaras which gave favorable results.

Nuclear technology is also applied in the nutritional management of rice. Cabalfin said that isotopes are being used to determine the need to apply fertilizer in a certain field. This way, fertilizer is applied in the right amount and at the right time.

On the environment, Cabalfin cited the application of nuclear technology on the air pollution characterization by collecting dust sample using isotopic technique. Nuclear techniques also help address problems in red tide or harmful algal blooms and water resources management.

Apart from these, radiation also is also used as a phytosanitary treatment for fruits and vegetables, spices and other food byproducts. The method, which is called irradiation, also inhibits sprouting, delays ripening, disinfects and decontaminates fresh and frozen seafood, meat and poultry, spices, enzymes and dehydrated vegetables of harmful microorganisms.

Irradiation services are being carried out by PNRI through its pilot-scale irradiation facility in Diliman, Quezon. The facility, which uses Cobalt-60 as its fuel, has helped a number of food processors pass standards required by the market.

“All these processes do not make the product radioactive,” Cabalfin said. “We do not disprove that radiation is harmful. We agree that it can be harmful under some circumstances. But it also has a number of beneficial effects. It depends on how we are going to use it.”.