Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
What can plant science contribute to the Commission's Wssion? Bow can the Commission bring plant science to bear? Why are they concerned? These are gassumptions A. Because Conrmissioners eat plants orBat animals that eat plants Because the Commission m u s t see that edible .plants do notB. carry excessive quantities of radionuclides i n peace o r war The Windscale incident emphasizes this pdnt C. Because the Commission i s concerned with radiation injury to man i n peace or in war Because man i a a difficult experimental organism and plantsI). are easy ones. E. Because the Commission must cast i t s research net as widely What can plant science contribute to the Cormnisslnn's mission? -.-- .. A. In the same environment some plants pick up large loads of nuclides, other plants smaller amounts. Evidence here i s scarce, but radio ~P-&u of the Pacific incorporate a third of their structure as str on tiu h and brdfd trees of Rongelap are Perhaps collectors of nuclides (and we m u s t find more of them) could be used as scavengers of rivers o r contaminated land -- how about P32 and Zn 65 i n the Columbia River? There must be many others.
Page 2
C. Plants have no bones but they do take i n large quantities of calcium and, therefore, are fit subject for research i n boneD. Plants i n general are vastly more resistant to radiation Injury than animals E. Different plants differ over several orders of magnitude i n their resistance to radiation injury. F. !&erefop=, plants offer a powerful tool to investigate radiation Radiation affects the genetics of organisms. P-. Plants offer cheap, convenient tools for geneticsj Wdel's l a w s and biochemical genetics were discovered by Man's genetics may be 85 close to maize as mice. .H. Radiation i s said to shorten life span. Different plants have different life spans Here, too, is a cheap, convenient tool. I. Radiation injury is known to be related to the oxygeKtension Oxygen tension varies widely among green plents, and even between da.ylight and dark i n the same plant. Are green plants more sensitive i n radiation injury i n the dark than i n the light ?
Page 3
J. Plants produce the tissues we need to test the radiation hazards of space travel. We c a l l these tissues seeds and spores. They are designed to resist heat, cold and drying. Animal tissues are When seeds and spores return from space we can be reasonably sure that the charges we see are due to radiation, not to the K. Plants are pretty peacefltl. merefore, they are useful i n the peaceful use of atomic enargy. (1)To produce new varieties by genetic mutation, (2) To increase food supply by isotope research (3) Plants consume much of the available water i n dry climates. W o g e n and oxygen tracers should enable us to dig out many hidden facts about water economy of plants. eventually saves water. as research on desalting the sea. Research here might be as useful The co 60 i n the giant clams of the Pacific, the zinc 65 i n the oysters of Puget Sound, and the P32 in the whitefish a t Hanford do not come from the water the animals drink but from the plants M. Man eats plants I n time of war, which plants, which plant parts, which soil types, which fertilizers will give us the least nuclides to eat?
Page 4
N. Plants are simpler experimental organisms than animals. They can be grown i n millions We speak of the impossible megamuse experiment A megamaize experiment is very possible, very cheap. Plants d~ not run dolls, of the antivivisectionists and the0. And finally, how can the Conrmission better bring plant science to bear Tb provide three types of facility for plant science research I n the humid region :-- In the tropics