Chinese researchers are about to harvest the third-generation rice from seeds that returned from a space voyage in 2022 after a growth period of more than 100 days at a crop breeding and cultivation base in Shanghai.
They are born of 59 seeds which experienced 120 days of space cultivation, and completed the entire growth process from seed to seed during the 2022 Shenzhou-14 manned mission, and growing at an enclosed research greenhouse of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and in a farm field.
"Six seeds were sent onboard the Wentian module to space, and then we received 59 seeds in total. These 59 seeds were quite precious, so we took some of them for breeding in the artificial climate chamber. After multiplication, we obtained more seeds, nearly 10,000. Then we took some of them and grow them in the field. This is the rice ears we reaped in the field," said Zheng Huiqiong, a researcher with the center.
The researcher explained that 59 rice seeds bred in space represent the first generation, nearly 10,000 seeds bred in a phytotron constitute the second generation, and the seeds for the upcoming harvest in the farm field are the third generation.
Preliminary research results found that under microgravity conditions in space, rice seed embryos develop normally, capable of growing into vigorous offspring. This experiment confirms the potential to cultivate robust rice seeds in space. "First, we harvested viable seeds in space. Then, through experiments in the phytotron, we proved that these viable seeds can create offspring and the space-bred seeds still have the ability to reproduce. They can continue to reproduce stably in the fields. It means it is a feasible way to produce rice in a space environment," said Zheng.
Researchers will also conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the yield and agronomic traits of space rice grown in the field.
China to harvest third-generation space-bred rice
