The application of nuclear technology in agriculture has broad prospects and important practical significance. With the continuous progress of technology and people's increasing concern for the quality and safety of agricultural products, the application of nuclear technology in the field of agriculture will become more extensive and in-depth.

1. Radiation breeding

Principle: Using radiation emitted by nuclear physics or isotopes (such as gamma rays, X-rays) to induce genetic mutations in organisms, thereby cultivating new and superior varieties.
Application example: Through radiation breeding technology, scientists have successfully cultivated various new crop varieties with high yield, disease resistance, and stress resistance, improving the yield and quality of crops.
Advantages: Radiation breeding technology has the advantages of short cycle, high variation frequency, and wide variation spectrum, and is one of the important means of modern agricultural breeding.

2. Radiation processing of agricultural products

Principle: Using ionizing radiation (such as gamma rays, X-rays, electron beams, etc.) to irradiate agricultural products, in order to achieve preservation and storage effects such as inhibiting germination, delaying ripening, insecticidal, sterilization and disinfection, and degrading harmful substances.
Application example: 42 countries around the world have approved the irradiation application of 538 agricultural products and food, and irradiation technology has been widely used in the preservation, storage, sterilization, and disinfection of agricultural products.
Advantages: Radiation processing technology has the advantages of safety, efficiency, and environmental protection, which can maintain the nutritional quality and flavor of food, extend shelf life, and improve the edible safety of agricultural products.

3. Insect radiation infertility

Principle: By treating male insects with radiation, they lose their ability to reproduce, thereby inhibiting the reproduction of pests.
Application example: Insect radiation infertility technology has been successfully applied to the control of pests such as Mediterranean fruit flies, effectively curbing the spread and harm of pests.
Advantages: Compared with chemical pesticides, insect radiation infertility technology has advantages such as environmental protection and no residue, making it safer for the environment and human health.

4. Agricultural isotope tracing

Principle: Using isotope tracers to study the migration, transformation, transportation, absorption, and metabolism patterns of tracked substances in plants or animals and their surrounding environments.
Application examples: Isotope tracing technology has been widely applied in the fields of pesticide degradation, residue and fate research, as well as identification and prevention of agricultural non-point source pollution sources.
Advantages: Isotope tracing technology has advantages that are difficult to achieve with conventional techniques such as high sensitivity, discriminability, and traceability, providing important technical support for agricultural scientific research.

5. Other applications

Animal husbandry: Nuclear technology can also be used to improve animal productivity and prevent cross-border animal diseases. For example, improving livestock breeding, breeding, and disease prevention plans through nuclear technology can increase the yield and quality of livestock products.
Environmental protection: Nuclear technology can also be used for agricultural environmental protection, such as evaluating soil pollution by monitoring the content of radioactive substances in soil, and providing scientific basis for soil remediation.