China has taken a significant step forward in the field of spatial agriculture with the start of the cultivation of the first generation of “spatial hill barley”. A lot of hill barley seeds, back from a journey on board the bright satellite satellite Shijian-19, was delivered for the subsequent land selection and reproduction phase in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.
The recovered seeds were specifically selected for characteristics of high agronomic potential, such as high yield, tolerance at extreme temperatures and resistance to parasites. Their origin lies in the city of Shannan, located in the autonomous region of XIZANG (Tibet) in southwestern China.
Dawa Sangzhub, head of the Shanan agricultural technology center, operating under the aegis of the office for agriculture and rural affairs, said: “As an important agricultural pole of XIZANG, we are committed to guaranteeing the production of cereals through technological innovation. Space selection offers a path to develop varieties of more robust and productive crops, ultimately increasing the income of farmers.”
The space selection technique is based on‘Exposure of seeds with unique environmental conditions on board spacecrafts, such as cosmic radiation, microgravity and empty emptiness. These conditions induce genetic mutations in the seeds. Upon returning to Earth, the seeds are subjected to selective crops aimed at isolating and stabilizing the desirable features, including a greater yield, resistance to diseases and climatic adaptability. This process is coordinated by the national base for the XI’an civil aerospace industry, located in the provincial capital of Shaanxi.
After a fifteen -day space trip, The seeds will be the subject of joint analysis by experts from the XI’an base and agronomists from Shannan. A cooperation mechanism that combines the technical guidance of the base with the cultivation experience in the field of Shannan will guarantee complete support, from the mutation phase up to the harvest, according to the experts involved in the project.