FALLOUT RADIATION EFFECTS ON LIVESTOCK (PART A) AND FOOD CROPS (PART B)

reportActive / Technical Report | Accession Number: AD0708583 | Open PDF

Abstract:

Sheep fed 90Y-labeled fallout simulant at the rate of 2.5 mCikg to simulate 7 forage retention developed anorexia, diarrhea, and weight loss. Beta irradiation of 57,000 rads to the dorsum of sheep, equivalent to 12 of the body surface, severely affected the skin and reduced body weight by 15 with no reduction in feed intake. Whole-body gamma irradiation of 240 R at 1 Rmin affected only the platelets and white blood cells with no mortalities. These three types of irradiation given singly had little effects on mortality but when the three were combined, 4 of 8 sheep died within 60 days. Gamma ray sensitivity for major crops was as follows winter barley winter wheat corn soybean rice. Seedlings of barley and wheat will tolerate 1 kR, corn 2kR, soybean 4 KR, and rice 25 kR. Maximum yield reduction occurred in corn irradiated from 14 to 48 DAE in winter barley from 175 to 200 DAE, and in winter wheat from 150 to 200 DAE. Yield reduction in soybean was maximal at early seedling stages and during early bloom. In the monocotyledonous plants sensitivity to gamma rays is greatest during the period of apical tansition and extends through the period of reproductive primoridal development.

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