September 27, 2006

China to start trials of space-bred seeds

Chinese scientists are about to start experimental cultivation of 2,200 seed samples from its seed-breeding satellite, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced on Tuesday (Sep 26).

Seeds from the Shijian-8 satellite which returned two days ago were handed over to Agriculture Minister Du Qinglin. The experiment aims to find out the effects on seeds which had been subjected to zero gravity and cosmic radiation.

Tests showed the seeds could be used for planting. The seeds covered nine categories, including that for wheat, corn, cotton, vegetables, fruits, fungus and oil plants.

The ministry said the seeds would be sent to 94 agricultural centres across the country to study the influence of cosmic radiation and zero gravity.

The acreage of crops cultivated from such seeds would reach between 2 million hectares and 3.3 million hectares) in three years.