Fast-maturing Nuclear-technology Cassava Targeted For Commercialisation In Two Years

CYBERJAYA, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Nuclear Agency has developed several potential new cassava varieties through the application of nuclear technology that can be harvested within six months, nearly half the 11 to 12 months required for local varieties.

Its Agrotechnology and Biosciences Division research officer Norazlina Noordin said the new varieties, developed through research that began in 2021, recorded higher yields compared with control planting materials and are expected to have commercialisation potential within at least the next two years.

She said the five- to six-year research project began with the aim of developing new cassava varieties with a shorter maturity period without compromising yields.

“The problem with local cassava varieties is that they take a long time to harvest, usually 11 to 12 months. So, the objective of our study was to shorten the harvesting period.

“Alhamdulillah, after five to six years of research, we obtained several potential new varieties that can reduce the harvesting period to six months while at the same time maintaining yields. The yields are higher compared with the original varieties,” she said.

She said this when met by the media after the Nuclear Advocacy Programme: Nuclear for the People (N.U.R)@Wanita here today.

Norazlina said the nearly 50 per cent shorter harvesting period could potentially enable farmers to plant cassava more frequently, thereby increasing the economic returns from the crop.

She said the project was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and received support from the International Atomic Energy Agency, including a research grant of about RM100,000 over five years.

She said the Department of Agriculture also provided support, including planting areas for the screening of planting materials after they had undergone the application of nuclear technology.

Explaining the process, Norazlina said cassava stem cuttings were first exposed to gamma radiation before being planted and screened to identify changes that produced the desired characteristics.

She said the process did not cause the planting materials to contain radioactive residue because gamma radiation simply passes through the material, similar to the principle of exposure during an X-ray examination.

“Don’t worry; it’s safe because it’s just a pass-through. Like when we have an X-ray, it passes through. So there is no residue,” she said.

Norazlina said that after the irradiation process, each cutting had to be planted and observed from one generation to the next to obtain the desired characteristics, such as early maturity and high yield, while ensuring that these characteristics remained stable.

The same technology can also be used to develop crop varieties that are more resistant to diseases, pests and changes in weather conditions.

She said the screening process was among the biggest challenges in the research as genetic changes occur randomly, requiring researchers to evaluate large numbers of plants over a long period.

“For vegetatively propagated crops, we need to screen at least about 1,000 plants. We need to observe them from one generation to the next until we achieve stability. If they are not stable, the characteristics may revert to their original state. That is why it takes years,” she said.

According to her, developing crops of this nature typically takes at least six to seven years before researchers can be confident about the stability of the new varieties.

She said research was also being conducted on several other crops, including bananas, sweet potatoes and taro, focusing, among other things, on developing varieties with higher yields and greater resistance to diseases, pests and changes in weather conditions.

In addition, Norazlina said the research also involved kenaf for industrial uses such as the production of biomass-based fibreboards, as well as Napier grass for livestock feed.

She said the application of nuclear technology in agriculture was aimed not only at increasing productivity but also strengthening the country’s food security and safety.

-- BERNAMA