FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories

The key priorities of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratories at the IAEA Laboratories are to assist Member States to develop and adapt new and existing agricultural technologies involving isotopes and radiation to suit local requirements and environmental conditions, and to provide the necessary training and analytical services pertaining to the efficient use of these technologies.

Examples of such fields of activities include:

→ Radiation induction and fingerprinting of novel plant varieties with improved yield and hardiness under local conditions (e.g. disease resistance, saline tolerance)
→ Developing methodologies to cost-effectively optimise water and fertiliser use
→ Developing environmentally-friendly methods of pest control (e.g. Sterile Insect Technique, F1-Sterility) for area-wide control of key pests
→ Strengthening productivity of indigenous and exotic livestock breeds through genetic characterization and disease diagnosis
→ Facilitating compliance with regulatory guidelines for international markets through provision of methodologies for determining veterinary drug and pesticide residues

In this endeavour the key priorities of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratories are continuously tailored to best suit the needs and requirements of Member States.

For further information for on-going laboratory activities please see:

Publications

- Laboratories Activities Report 2011 [pdf]
- Laboratories Activities Report 2010 [pdf]