RAJAB 15, 1429 A.H.
FRIDAY JULY 18 2008
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Nuclear technology can enhance food security -- IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says nuclear technology had the potential of enhancing food security on the African continent.
The IAEA Director-General, Dr Mohamed El-Baradei, said nuclear technology could enhance crop productivity, pest control and livestock health.
He was quoted in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja as saying: ``Food security is among the most challenging problems facing Africa.
``Boosting agricultural production requires genetically enhanced crop varieties, increased soil fertility, better soil and water management and improved crop protection practices.''
El-Baradei said the introduction of nuclear technology into agricultural activities would bring about increased food production.
He noted that several countries in Africa were already using nuclear techniques in mutation breeding and biotechnology to develop enhanced varieties of crops.
The Director-General said since 2001, six new crop varieties had been officially released.
``Crops with higher yield, improved nutrition and/or more hardy characteristics for harsh environments have been released.
``These include new varieties of sesame seed in Egypt, cassava in Ghana, wheat in Kenya, banana in Sudan and finger millet and cotton in Zambia,'' he said.
El-Baradei also called for the adoption of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in pest control.
He explained that the technique utilises radiation to sterilise otherwise healthy insects.
The insects, he added, were then released into the environment to mate, without producing offspring, thereby controlling and gradually eradicating the pest population.
El-Baradei said that SIT had been used successfully for different pests in different regions.
``SIT is one of the methods being used to combat tsetse fly in Africa,'' he said.
He noted that Trypanosomiasis, the disease carried by the flies, remained a major constraint to sustainable development in many parts of Africa.
``It affects both humans and livestock and also impedes agricultural productivity,'' he said.
