Inner Mongolia to send more seeds into space

A biotechnology research center in Inner Mongolia signed a new partnership agreement with the  Space Breeding Industry Innovation Alliance on March 1, meaning that a sample of seeds taken from leading regional agricultural products will be blasted into space, according to Inner Mongolia Technology Department.

Under the agreement, the two parties will cooperate in developing new varieties of agricultural products, studying technologies for space breeding, and establishing production bases.

This new agreement will allow the autonomous region to discover which agricultural products are suitable for growing in space, as well as help with developing new varieties, said Liang Xiaohong, chairman of the Space Breeding Industry Innovation Alliance.

According to Liang, the agreement will improve the local capacity for innovation, the transformation of scientific research and the training of skilled scientific workers.

Sui Yang, president of the regional biotechnology research center said that the two sides plan to establish a working group to select seeds for space mutation breeding, adding that more joint research is under way.

Some 50 kinds of mutant seeds for agricultural products, selected by the Space Breeding Industry Innovation Alliance will be planted at three or five demonstration bases in Inner Mongolia.

According to the government, Inner Mongolia sent seeds to space in 2016 and the original seeds have now created new varieties.  

Space breeding, also called space mutation breeding combines astronautics with the agricultural and forestry sciences. Seeds may be sent into space and undergo mutation due to the unusual environment. After returning to Earth, mutant seeds will be selected and planted to breed new agricultural products which are of high quality and high yield.