Nuclear Diversities

Just recently the Food and Agricultural Organization (F.A.O) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A), made a scientific breakthrough in identifying the Asian Fruit Fly and the Philippine Fruit Fly as identical through genetic mapping and a way to combat the menace that has dogged the horticultural industry of Asia and Africa. Through Irradiation, where the male fruit flies are sterilized and released to the populous this results to reduction of the population thus limiting their movements and population increase. Over the years the horticultural industry particularly in Africa has faced challenges owing to the fruit fly. It has made farmers to spend more on pesticide and still have to meet a particular level of toxins inside the fruits that will not be harmful for human consumption. The use of nuclear technology in this is phenomenal as it will be used to save horticultural farmers a lot of money from buying pesticides that later will affect the environment as these chemicals sip into the soil. This is relevant for Kenya where most of her exports come from horticulture industry. Use of nuclear technology will not just be used in controlling the pests and diseases, but in food preservation through irradiation. This something that Kenya needs, not just for electricity generation but other uses such as agriculture, research and medicine.