NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

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1 NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE Gerd Dercon Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture

2 OUTLINE Selected impacts Using nuclear techniques in food and agriculture Future challenges Climate change adaptation

3 Selected Impacts through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division Insect pest control in Guatemala Enhancing rice production in Viet Nam Global rinderpest eradication Advancing global food safety control Affordable soil fertility improvement

Maintaining Mediterranean Fruit Fly-free Status TARGET Protecting horticultural industries in Western Guatemala, Mexico and the USA FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Containment of the Mediterranean

4 Maintaining Mediterranean Fruit Fly-free Status TARGET Protecting horticultural industries in Western Guatemala, Mexico and the USA FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Containment of the Mediterranean fruit fly population in Guatemala (to prevent its introduction into Mexico and USA) Protection of horticultural industry worth 15 billion USD/year Successful implementation during the last 45 years

Enhancing Rice Production in Viet Nam TARGET Increasing Rice Productivity and Quality in Viet Nam FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Releases of salinity tolerant rice varieties (short duration) through mutation

5 Enhancing Rice Production in Viet Nam TARGET Increasing Rice Productivity and Quality in Viet Nam FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Releases of salinity tolerant rice varieties (short duration) through mutation breeding >1 billion USD additional revenue through release of mutant varieties Released high yield mutant varieties strengthened, socioeconomic development, increased rice exports and improved income for farmers (4.5 million farmers benefited from rice mutant varieties)

Strengthening Control of Animal Infectious Diseases TARGET Reduce burden of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Ensure

6 Strengthening Control of Animal Infectious Diseases TARGET Reduce burden of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Ensure access to novel animal vaccines and vaccines of improved quality to strengthen control and eradication of infectious diseases Increased animal production, promotion of livestock trade and public health benefit (1 billion USD per year, Africa). Livelihoods of 600 million poor smallholder farmers relies on livestock. Zoonoses are responsible for 2.2 million human deaths/year in poor countries Global eradication of rinderpest. Towards the eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR)

Advancing Global Food Safety Control TARGET FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Improve food safety and food control systems and enhance trade through the use of nuclear

where food trade is increasingly globalized Modernization of food control systems in ~70 countries, through capacity building by regional and interregional

7 Advancing Global Food Safety Control TARGET FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Improve food safety and food control systems and enhance trade through the use of nuclear related techniques Forging sustainable networks of food control laboratories and institutions Leveraging the impact of food control laboratories in a world where food trade is increasingly globalized Modernization of food control systems in ~70 countries, through capacity building by regional and interregional networking: RALACA network (50 labs in 21 Latin American/Caribbean countries); African Food Safety Network (AFoSaN, 32 countries); Food Safety Asia network (16 countries)

Affordable Soil Fertility Improvement TARGET FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Affordable soil fertility improvement in developing countries through the use of legume crops Isotope tools to quantify the

8 Affordable Soil Fertility Improvement TARGET FOCUS BENEFITS SUCCESS Affordable soil fertility improvement in developing countries through the use of legume crops Isotope tools to quantify the nitrogen fixation potential of grain, forage and tree legumes Each year major grain legumes fix an estimated 11 million tons of nitrogen, worth approximately 13.5 billion USD Biological nitrogen fixation is a cornerstone of today s soil fertility management systems, especially in developing countries

9 Nuclear Properties for Applications in Food and Agriculture Ionizing Radiation (Energy beam) Radioactivity (Easy to measure) Stable Isotopes (Finger print) Electric (X-ray or Electron Beam) Radionuclides Radionuclides (Gamma Ray) Neutrons 1 H and 2 H Milk New Zealand

10 Comparative Advantages of Nuclear Techniques Irradiation cold treatment kills bacteria, induces genetic variation, sterilizes insects, safer vaccines Radionuclides and stable isotopes Traceability isotopes as markers Measurability radionuclides and stable isotopes Accuracy analytical methods Specificity specific and sensitive

11 Sterile Insect Techniques Insect Birth Control Method: 1. MALE STERILISATION Mass rearing Sex separation Sterilisation (irradiation) Packing, transport, release 2. RELEASE Irradiation Sterile mating = no offspring 3. POPULATION SUPPRESSION

Plant Mutation Breeding Enhancing agrobiodiversity for

Inducing genetic variation Optimizing mutation induction

phenotyping / genotyping Direct release or variety

12 Plant Mutation Breeding Enhancing agrobiodiversity for food security & climatesmart agriculture: 1. Inducing genetic variation Optimizing mutation induction (irradiation) Bulk treatment (1000 s) Mutant selection phenotyping / genotyping Direct release or variety development Adoption by farmers 3. Official release (~3,200 globally) 4. New variety in farmers fields Irradiation 2. Selecting new traits: disease resistance, drought tolerance, high yield

13 Soil Conservation Enhancing soil management to control soil erosion: Fallout radionuclides (e.g. 137 Cs) worldwide, fixed to soil and move together Analysing radionuclide quantities and distribution in the landscape Converting into soil erosion rates Soil conservation planning Adoption by farmers

14 Development of Nuclear Techniques in Agriculture Linking different scales from plant to watershed Linking with improved mathematical modelling and IT tools Food forensics Rapid evolution in techniques on-farm, reducing costs, cost-effective, robust and simple, multidisciplinary 14

15 Cosmic-Ray Soil Moisture Sensor Radius of 250 m Neutrons interact with hydrogen Stationary vs mobile A new non-invasive method for area-wide soil moisture monitoring

16 Meeting Future Challenges Ensuring food safety and security Addressing transboundary plant pests and animal diseases Improving farmers resilience to climate change Providing solutions towards the Sustainable Development Goals

17 Climate Change Adaptation DOING MORE WITH LESS through improved resource use efficiency and conservation Agricultural productivity Enhance resilience and reduce emissions Feeding 9.7 billion people (2050)

Development of technologies for adaptation and building resilience to climate change Improvement of

18 Nuclear Applications in Climate-Smart Agriculture From understanding to action Assessment of: Impact of climate change on agriculture and food security Impact of agricultural practices on climate change Development of technologies for adaptation and building resilience to climate change Improvement of agriculture practices for potential mitigation of climate change impacts Integration with food supply (food security) 18

19 Happy New Year THE JOINT FAO/IAEA DIVISION THE APPLICATION OF SCIENCE FROM LAB TO FIELDS Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture

The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture

The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture Table of Contents Mission 1 History 2 FAO/IAEA Partnership 4 Organizational Structure and Function 5 Delivery Mechanisms 7 Areas