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Flowers with new colors: Breed Improvement
Plants are exposed to ionizing radiation to cause mutations to obtain better crop varieties, which can then be used for different purposes, such as those that yield more, are resistant to cold, grow quickly, and resistant to diseases.
This selective breeding has also resulted in the production of plants with new colors and shapes.
Potatoes: Extending the Shelf Life of Food
Food can be exposed to ionizing radiation to prevent it from sprouting and to sterilize and eradicate insects, thereby increasing its shelf life.
In Japan, potatoes are exposed to ionizing radiation to prevent sprouting, allowing them to be consumed deliciously for a long period of time.
Similarly, this method is used worldwide to prevent garlic and onions from sprouting and to sterilize and eliminate insects in spices, such as pepper, as well as in meat and seafood.
Bitter melon: Pest Control
In the past, bitter melons cultivated in Okinawa Prefecture were often inedible because of melon flies; however, it is now possible to eradicate melon flies using ionizing radiation.
The same method has also been used to successfully eradicate citrus fruit flies in Ogasawara and eggplant flies in Okinawa.