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 NATURE > AGRICULTURE > FERTILISER : Chinese Space Seeds
Last updated: November 23, 2008
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## China grows 'Super Vegetables' with Seeds from Outer Space http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/1986/56/ (via Keelynet.com)
While most governments are reacting to the global food shortage by growing more food, the Chinese have decided to grow the same amount of fruits and vegetables, but with A TWIST: giant versions of standard food staples: 210-pound pumpkins, 2-pound tomatoes, and cucumbers that are over 2-feet long -- that are currently feeding families in 22 of China's provinces, and governments in Europe, Japan and elsewhere are taking notice.
This weird, believe-it-or-not scenario becomes even more fantastic as it turns out that the reason these foods can grow so huge is because they've been sent to outer space. The seeds get blasted into outer space, and, after they return, transform into enormous eatables -- but no one knows why.
The China Academy of Sciences, working with the then Soviet Union, first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987. Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.
Scientists have yet to offer a definitive explanation of why space causes the seeds to mutate but they believe that cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part, but beyond that guesswork, there's seemingly no reason that space seeds should be a miracle food. Our MINA correspondent, a physicist, believes micro gravity plays a major role.
Once the seeds are returned from space they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected. The seeds from these plants are then bred over at least another three generations to ensure they remain stable.
The Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, 50 miles from Guangzhou, could be the taste of things to come as China struggles to feed its 1.3billion population. Vast farms are already being used to cultivate these crops as space fruit and vegetables are put on dinner tables across China. A total of 22 provinces are taking part in the programme, coordinated by the China Academy of Sciences.
Futuristic greenhouses in southern China give birth to 15-stone pumpkins - 10 times their normal size - 160lb Chinese winter melons, chilli plants the size of small trees with fiery 9in-long fruit which look more like exotic peppers. Alongside are 14lb aubergines, 2lb tomatoes and 2ft cucumbers.
Chinese scientists claim some space fruit and veg are better than the original. The Vitamin C content in some vegetables is nearly three times higher and there is a marked increase in trace elements such as zinc. Yields of space rice are also 25 per cent higher. Research also shows that certain space breeds use proportionately less water than their more traditional predecessors so they could be perfect for arid areas.
To date China has bred more than 50 new species of plants and has plans to produce more than 200 new species.
"A lot more space seed products are going to be coming on the market in the next two to three years, with sweet pepper, tomato and cucumber breeds on sale," said Chinese expert Lo Zhigang. "Some of China's space seed products are already exported to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. These include breeds of cucumber, sweet pepper, tomatoes and broccoli."
And that's exactly what worries environmentalists. In the same way that genetically modified foods may present an as-of-yet unknown danger to our health, some worry the same is true of food from space. I am also against modifying foods genetically. 'Experts' say, the seed is modified genetically so the worms don't eat it, hence we have 0% loss in our crops. My only question is, why would I eat food that worms wouldn't eat? All in all, with the Chinese way of growing crops, a 2 pound tomato and some feta cheese, would serve us well for a Macedonian salad. // Marjan C.
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## Giant space vegetables ‘could feed the world’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1949129/Giant-space-vegetables-andlsquocould-feed-the-worldandrsquo.html
Swollen to ten times their normal size and weighing more than an average man, these giant pumpkins would not look out of place in a science fiction film.
By Laura Clout, Last Updated: 9:14PM BST 12 May 2008
Photo: REX FEATURES
And it’s no wonder that they look out of this world, because the seeds from which these monster vegetables were grown spent two weeks orbiting the earth.
On their return they were cultivated in giant Chinese hothouses producing the oversized specimens pictured here, along with a host of other fruit and vegetables.
Scientist hope the pumpkins, as well as two-foot long (06.m) cucumbers, 14lb (6.3kg) aubergines, and chilli plants which resemble small trees, could provide an answer to the world’s food crisis.
It is thought the near zero gravity conditions in space result in super-sized fruit and vegetables with a higher vitamin content.
Crucially, the plants are said to produce harvests which are ten to 20 per cent higher than normal - offering a rich source of food for the country’s 1.3 billion people.
Struggling for space in giant hothouses at the Guandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences are 21lb (9.5kg) tomatoes and enormous watermelons.
Researchers fired off a batch of 2,000 seeds into space in 2006 on the Shijian 8 satellite.
After germination the best specimens were selected for further breeding.
Researcher Lo Zhigang said: “Conventional agricultural development has taken us as far as we can go and demand for food from a growing population is endless.
“Space seeds offer the opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables bigger and faster.”
A total of 22 provinces are taking part in the programme, coordinated by the China Academy of Sciences, and China says its giant fruit and vegetables have already been sold to Japan, Thailand and Singapore. There has also been interest from European agricultural firms.
How sending seeds into space produces such enormous fruit is yet not fully understood, but it is thought cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part.
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## Will giant vegetables help solve world food shortage? http://www.mirror.co.uk/sunday-mirror/2008/05/11/will-giant-vegetables-help-solve-world-food-shortage-98487-20413648/
By Adam Luck, sundaymirror.co.uk 11/05/2008
EXCLUSIVE Pumpkins 10 times their normal size, 2lb tomatoes, 14lb aubergines, 9-inch chillies.. and all grown from seeds sent into orbit by China. But how safe are they?
They came from Outer Space... huge monsters never seen on Earth before. And they could soon be heading towards a supermarket near you...
These giant fruit and veg, grown from seeds sent into space, are now being grown in southern China where they are being heralded as a solution to the world's food shortage.
Fans hum amid the steamy heat in futuristic greenhouses as 15-stone pumpkins - 10 times their normal size - are supported on raised platforms.
Thick twine stop 160lb Chinese winter melons falling and crushing gardeners working below. Struggling for space are chilli plants the size of small trees with fiery 9in-long fruit which look more like exotic peppers.
Alongside are 14lb aubergines, 2lb tomatoes and 2ft cucumbers.
Futuristic white tubes stretch upwards sprouting huge kohlrabi cabbage and lettuce.
The Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, 50 miles from Guangzhou, could be the taste of things to come as China struggles to feed its 1.3billion population.
Vast farms are already being used to cultivate these crops as space fruit and vegetables are put on dinner tables across China. A total of 22 provinces are taking part in the programme, coordinated by the China Academy of Sciences.
While the West agonises over genetically-modified crops China is steaming ahead with its own answer to GM and they are not shy about exporting the produce.
Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia have all taken delivery of the super fruit and veg. European agricultural companies have also begun to show an interest in the technology, although none from Britain yet.
Chinese expert Lo Zhigang believes space seeds represent the future.
"Conventional agricultural development has taken us as far as we can go and demand for food from a growing population is endless.
"Space seeds offer the opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables bigger and faster."
The China Academy of Sciences, working with the then Soviet Union, first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987.
Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.
Scientists have yet to offer a definitive explanation of why space causes the seeds to mutate but they believe that cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part.
Mr Lo said: "After space travel the genetic sequence may change from 1,2,3,4 to 1,2,4,3 or a gene may even disappear so 1,2,3,4 becomes 1, 2, and 4.
Space melon
"We don't think there is any threat to human health because the genes themselves do not mutate, just their sequence changes.
"With genetically-modified crops you have seen environmental problems because they have added genes that can damage other organisms.
"But with space seeds they don't gain genes, they can only lose them."
Once the seeds are returned from space they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected.
The seeds from these plants are then bred over at least another three generations to ensure they remain stable.
Chinese scientists claim some space fruit and veg are better than the original. The Vitamin C content in some vegetables is nearly three times higher and there is a marked increase in trace elements such as zinc. Yields of space rice are also 25 per cent higher.
Research also shows that certain space breeds use proportionately less water than their more traditional predecessors so they could be perfect for arid areas.
To date China has bred more than 50 new species of plants and has plans to produce more than 200 new species.
Mr Lo's government-owned Shenzhen Nongke Science and Technology Company also runs a public park called the Shenzhen Space Crops Park.
Here you can see space cabbage, space aubergines, space tomatoes and space sunflowers.
"A lot more space seed products are going to be coming on the market in the next two to three years, with sweet pepper, tomato and cucumber breeds on sale," said Mr Lo. "Some of China's space seed products are already exported to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. These include breeds of cucumber, sweet pepper, tomatoes and broccoli."
Agricultural-scale production of space breeds has so far been restricted to huge state-owned farms in the more remote Chinese provinces such as Jiangsu and Shanxi.
But even the most slavish supporters of space seeds admit there are problems. Size doesn't guarantee quality and some breeds show a notable decline in taste, vitamin content and an increased sugar content.
But Mr Lo thinks the rise of space fruit is inevitable. "I believe that these seeds will be available for sale on the open market in the next couple of years.
"When they will be exported to Europe is another matter altogether. That could take some time, but when you are hungry who knows?"
'Veg has 3 times more Vitamin C'
news@sundaymirror.co.uk
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## China Plans Seed Nursery For Space Experiments http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-00e.html
Beijing - February 3, 2000 - China is planning an expanded focus on the behaviour of flora in space and will build a dedicated seed in the Changxing area of Zhejiang Province, the Zhejiang Daily reported in its Jan. 30 edition.
Changxing County, about 150 km west of Shanghai in the Zhejiang Province in eastern China, recently signed a collaborative agreement with the China Corporation of Aerospace Industry (CCAI) to build the seed nursery and develop associated technologies. Total investment was reported as been 30 million renminbi ($3.6 million U.S.).
Under the agreement, Changxing County will build the nursery and CCAI will take high quality seeds from the nursery for experiments on board satellites. The nursery will be more than 10,000 hectares.
Upon completion it will be the largest in China. First phase of the development, at 2,000 hectares, will start in the near future. The first batch of seeds have already arrived in Changxing.
Since the 1980s, China has carried a variety of seeds in recoverable satellites to study genetic mutation and changes in quality in seeds that are exposed to microgravity, high levels of radiation and magnetic fields in outer space.
Many of the returned space seeds are now planted in experimental farms in Beijing. According to the Zhejiang Daily, substantial prospects exist for the seed market.
Despite the short duration of its highly-publicized maiden flight last November, the Shenzhou capsule also carried various kinds of seeds as souvenirs including: tomato, watermelon, lo bak (Chinese radish), green pepper, corn, barley, wheat, 10 different vegetables, and over 30 different types of herbal plants and compounds.
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