Malaysia Uses Nuclear Technology to Grow Cassava in Half the Time

Malaysia Uses Nuclear Technology to Grow Cassava in Half the Time

Scientists at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency have achieved a breakthrough in crop development: new cassava varieties that mature in roughly six months, nearly halving the standard 11-to-12-month growing period. The discovery, announced in August 2026, uses a decades-old technique called mutation breeding, in which gamma radiation induces genetic changes in plant material to accelerate the natural process of evolution. If commercialized, these fast…