With the return of the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft, a new chapter in agricultural innovation is unfolding. Seeds that spent eleven months aboard China’s space station have been brought back to Earth, offering promising prospects for breeding experiments.
The forage seeds, including alfalfa and oats provided by the Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, were exposed to space radiation aboard the station’s space radiation biology exposure equipment.
After initial assessments at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the seeds have been handed over to researchers for experimental studies.
“We have commenced seed germination experiments and will conduct further ground-based breeding to obtain excellent mutants,” said Yang Hongshan, the team’s chief scientist. “Our goal is to cultivate superior new forage varieties with higher yield, better quality, and stronger resistance.”
The anticipated outcomes are expected to significantly enhance China’s competitiveness in agricultural science and technology, providing robust support for the sustainable development of the country’s agriculture sector.
The research team has previously achieved success by cultivating three new varieties of alfalfa and one new variety of oats through space-mutation breeding. These varieties have been widely adopted in agricultural production.
Reference(s):
Seeds from China's space station applied in breeding experiments
cgtn.com
