Is your seed order coming by irradiated mail?

01/01/02

Wondering about the effect of proposed mail irradiation on your seed order?
According to an article in the Wilmington News Journal, the U.S. Postal Service is using the electronic beam irradiation method (E-beam) for eradication of the bacteria that cause anthrax. E-beam equipment irradiates mail for three to five minutes with a dosage of 55 kilo-Gray. Current systems can accommodate packages up to 24 by 12 by 5 inches. Larger systems are being built.
The Federal Seed Laboratory conducted a study recently with the following lethal results: “The germination testing after irradiation was completed and samples tested included tomato, ryegrass, onion, alfalfa, barley, squash, pea and garden bean. The samples were sent for irradiation in paper envelopes. The irradiated portions of the samples all had 0 percent germination with 0 percent abnormal seedlings and 100 percent dead seed. The germination of the nonirradiated portions of the samples ranged from a high of 99 percent for the squash sample to a low of 71 percent for the onion sample. No hard seeds were detected in the alfalfa, pea or garden bean samples.”
At present, private carriers such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service do not use E-beam technology. For now, shippers might be well advised to send seeds by these private carriers. However, the scope and extent of mail irradiation is changing rapidly.