Did you know many of the fruits sitting pretty in the grocery store have actually been through a science experiment of sorts? 🍎✨ They’re treated with irradiation — a process that blasts them with ionizing radiation (think gamma rays, X-rays, or electron beams). The goal? To keep fruit fresher longer, kill off bacteria, and stop bugs from hitching a ride into your kitchen.
But here’s the juicy question… what happens to the seeds inside?
🧬 Irradiation messes with seed viability.
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Low doses might just slow a seed down, lowering germination rates.
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Medium to high doses? They can scramble the seed’s DNA like a broken code, leaving it sterile and unable to sprout.
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Even if something does sprout, the plant may be weak, stunted, or genetically unstable.
💡 That’s because radiation doesn’t just zap pests — it interferes with the seed’s natural cellular processes, making it nearly impossible for new life to form.
And that’s why if you’ve ever saved seeds from a store-bought mango, orange, or even tomato and got nothing but disappointment, irradiation might be the silent culprit.
🌱 Pro tip: Want seeds that actually grow? Buy from trusted seed companies, swap with local growers, or save from your own untreated garden harvests.
Because when it comes to growing your own food, nothing beats starting with a seed that still remembers how to be a seed.
#GrowYourOwnFood #SeedFacts #Irradiation #GardeningScience #PlantKnowledge #FoodProcessing #HomesteadHub