Gamma gardens (or atomic gardens) are agricultural research sites originally set up after the Second World War. American sites included Brookhaven and Oakridge National Laboratories. There were also sites in the Soviet Union, Europe, Japan and India. The initial aim was to test the effect of various levels of radiation on plant life. The research progressed to using the radiation to encourage mutations in the plants in the hope of producing useful cultivars.
The gardens consisted of circular fields with a retractable Cobalt-60 source hoisted on a central tower. Plants were arranged in a circular pattern around the tower. Cobalt-60 is a high-intensity gamma-ray emitter. The plants would be exposed to the radiation for a period of time, then the Cobalt-60 would be lowered into a bunker so that the researchers could safely approach.
On one occasion the source got stuck and could not be lowered into the bunker. An expert marksman had to be brought in to shoot the holding mechanism, from a safe distance, so that it could drop.
The plants closest to the centre (receiving the highest dose) generally died. Those further out would have tumours and other growth abnormalities. The ones at the lowest doses might have suffered genetic mutations but be less damaged than those which were closer. Some of these mutations would be harmful or of no value, but it was hoped that some might prove useful to commercial growers.
Varieties in use today include Red Rio grapefruit and Golden Promise barley, which is favoured by craft brewers. The resulting seeds and plants produced are not radioactive themselves and this process does not introduce any new genes, it only speeds up the random changes to the plant’s genes that might naturally occur.
In the UK the 'Atomic Gardening Society' was established in 1959 by Muriel Howorth. She obtained irradiated seeds from the American 'Atoms for Peace' initiative and distributed them to members, who planted them in their gardens and reported their results. She also published a book entitled 'Atomic Gardening for the Layman'.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct8kc9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_gardening
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/suresh2/#:~:text=1.),accumulate%20mutations%20in%20their%20DNA.
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6948915
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