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IAEA looks at nuclear techniques for crop resilience
The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a five-year coordinated research project (CRP) to strengthen plant health preparedness using nuclear and related technologies.
Wheat blast, potato late blight, potato bacterial wilt, and cassava witches broom disease can spread quickly across large areas of land, leading to severe yield losses in key crops for food security. Global trade and climate change have increased the likelihood of rapid, transboundary spread.
Gregory J. Van Tuyle, Gregory C. Slovik, Robert J. Kennett, Bing C. Chan, Arnold L. Aronson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 91 | Number 2 | August 1990 | Pages 165-184
Technical Paper | Safety of Next Generation Power Reactor / Nuclear Saftey | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34426
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Analytical results from an independent evaluation of the so-called “inherent reactor shutdown” mechanism in the proposed Power Reactor Inherently Safe Module (PRISM) advanced liquid-metal reactor design are discussed. Inherent reactor shutdown, in this context, refers to the tendency of the metal fuel reactor to inherently transition to a low power level when the reactor overheats significantly. Such behavior was demonstrated at the small Experimental Breeder Reactor II in 1986, but extrapolation to the proposed PRISM design concept requires extensive computer calculations. Analyses by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) tend to confirm calculations submitted by General Electric (GE) and the Argonne National Laboratory staff providing technical expertise to GE on the metal fuel. The BNL calculations also indicate some problem areas, particularly with respect to very low probability events that could lead to sodium voiding.