Vegetable seeds from space thrive in Shanxi county, boosting yields
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
Some vegetable seeds that were sent into space have now been successfully cultivated in Yanggao county, Shanxi province, a key region for vegetable production in China. The seeds, which included tomatoes, okra, eggplant, giant pumpkins, and red peppers, were grown in the greenhouses at the Hualian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center.

According to Wang Shouming, a technician at the center, these seeds were initially standard vegetable seeds but were subjected to the unique environmental conditions of space, such as weightlessness and reduced oxygen levels. These factors caused mutations in the seeds' internal structures, leading to enhanced growth properties once they returned to Earth.

After being brought back, the seeds underwent years of cultivation by agricultural experts. "The vitamin content of space vegetables is more than twice that of ordinary vegetables, and beneficial trace elements for the human body also increased," said Wang. He also noted that these space crops show improvements in both yield and disease resistance compared to conventional varieties.

"This marks the first time that space seed variety research has been conducted in our county," said Tian Qiuli, office director at Hualian Agricultural Development (Yanggao) Co. Tian further explained that the research has led to the selection of high-quality varieties with excellent stress resistance, increased yields, and wide adaptability, all of which contribute to local agricultural progress and support farmers' income growth.

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