How Would Radiation Affect the Ability of a Seed to Sprout?

Germination Time

• In 2010, a study was conducted by researchers from the University of Mashhad in Iran on the effects of gamma radiation on wheat seeds. Seeds were exposed to various levels of radiation and then observed and analyzed in a number of ways. One of the primary findings of the study was that the higher the level of gamma radiation that was applied to the seeds, the longer it took for germination to occur.

Growth

• At the Federal University of Technology in Nigeria, a study showed that the growth rate of seeds was detrimentally affected by exposure to radiation. Bean, maize and okro seeds were included in the study. Beta and gamma radiation was used in the study, and a proportional decrease in the rate of growth of the seeds was seen as the applied radiation levels were increased.

Irradiated Soil

• The soil around the site of the Chernobyl disaster still carries strong traces of radiation from the explosion which occurred in 1986. In order to study the effect of nuclear radiation on plants, researchers from the Slovak Academy of Science seeded flax seed in the area. The result was flax plants that seemed to grow with relatively few problems. Seeds sprouted as expected, and only slightly more than 30 of more than 700 monitored proteins exhibited molecular change.

Cleaning

• Radiation is actually applied to some seeds on purpose in order to kill harmful organisms and bacteria on the seeds. This procedure is used on seeds used to create sprouts as a food product. The sprouting of the seed is not hindered by this process. E. coli and other harmful bacteria, however, are killed when the radiation is applied to the seeds, making them cleaner and safer for human consumption.