A review is presented of the effects of radiation on food crops and livestock in order to properly evaluate the vulnerability of food production to fallout radiation. Food supplies and food production have always played important roles in recovery from major disasters. Much more information is needed on the radiation sensitivity at different stages of growth for the principal food crops to gamma and beta radiation. Direct retention of fallout data are needed for plants and animals along with gastrointestinal sensitivity data for grazing livestock. Cattle are one of our main food reserves valued at $16 billion and data are needed on interaction of radiation insults to these livestock which have little protection from fallout. (Author).

The report presents the results of the Workshop on Survival of Food Crops and Livestock in the Event of Nuclear War, held in Front Royal, Virginia, on October 17-19, 1972. Results included delineation of the status of research and research requirements in the following fields: livestock vulnerability, crop vulnerability, ecological and environmental disturbances and effects, radiation constraints on operations (radiation denial), agricultural production system relationships, salvage, damage assessment, and operational planning and implementation. Appendices A, B, and C represent a major part of the report. Appendix A reports on the fallout properties and their significance to agriculture. Appendix B is a review of beta dose research and its application to agricultural problems. Appendix C is a summary report of the Stanford Research Institute beta dosimetry research in 1972. Condensed versions of three formal foreign presentations are given in Appendix D. (Modified author abstract).

Food production is vulnerable to nuclear attack through beta and gamma radiation effects on food and feed crops, denial of crop acreage to farmers by fallout radiation fields, and gamma radiation effects on livestock. In addition, fallout contaminates food crops and water supplies, leading to internal human doses from ingested radionuclides. For the attacks postulated, crop and livestock survival was sufficient to produce food for the surviving population, assuming distribution was satisfactory. Serious effects from internal doses would be expected in only a small fraction of the population.

Behaviour and significance of radioactive substances released into agricultural, forestry and fisheries; Radioation in the environment; Radioecology, behaviour, significance, models; Chernobyl and other accidents; Some international situation in Europe after Chernobyl; Some international implications; Soil and crop contamination by rarioactive fallout; Agricultural and forestry soils as a vital global resource; Soil in the nutrient cycle; Sources and nature of radioactive contamination; Biological significance of contaminated soils; Behaviour in soils and movement into foodwebs; Detection and measurement; Countermeasures, reclamation and use of contaminated soils; Concluding comments; some questions and needs.

The results presented herein show that a single value cannot be assigned as being representative of the tolerance of any crop to gamma irradiation, because many factors are inherent to plants, their environment, and the mode of exposure to ionizing radiation that modify the extent of damage incurred. The order of tolerances to gamma irradiation was found to be barley