Nuclear and irradiation technology for agriculture sustainability and global food security

No doubt, nuclear technology has proven as the main scientific contributor in global progress, but still many other applications are yet to be explored, especially in agriculture and the food sector. We also know that the agriculture and food sector has already achieved their targets with many revolutions, but now the need is to preserve our soil, water, and ecosystem for our future generations. Therefore, we should focus on safe and eco-friendly ways of progress in the agriculture/food sector, and a need to collaborate with nuclear science/technology. In this article, our main focus is to present an overview and awareness about the applications of nuclear/irradiation technology in agriculture and the food sector. By using nuclear and irradiation technology, we can enhance land fertility, optimize nutrient use for crops and animals, improve the efficiency of fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides, enhance soil-water management, develop high-yield and disease-resistant crop varieties through breeding, modernize safe and eco-friendly pest control, and effectively preserve and purify food products. This article highlights the International Atomic Energy Agency, the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre initiatives for sustainable development in the agriculture and food sector globally using nuclear and irradiation technology. This overview article will surely initiate and boost the interest of new researchers to work for agriculture sustainability and food security.