Humanity's desire for high-yielding crops is as old as civilization itself.

In China, this is best illustrated by the fact that 41 of the nation's 56 ethnic groups have their own myths about the creation of fertile seeds, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Ethnic Literature.

The Dong ethnic group believes that seeds were bestowed by deities showing compassion to mortals, while according to the folklore of the Wa ethnic group, they were spat out by a world-devouring snake slain by the Heaven God.

Now, modern technologies have produced quality seeds from an equally fantastic source-outer space.

These seeds have produced a range of crops, from tomato vines that can sprawl across 150 square meters of land and bear 10,000 fruits, to giant black-eyed pea sprouts measuring nearly a meter long, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, or CASTC.

This progress has been achieved through space-induced mutation breeding, also known as space mutagenesis.

In China, hundreds of varieties of space crops have been planted nationwide. They are a key pillar supporting food security, as well as an innovative approach to improving farmers' yields and combating rural poverty.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Related Links
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Homemade space food for Matthias Maurer
Paris (ESA) Oct 11, 2020
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer plans to take a small slice of Saarland to the International Space Station. Later this month, chefs from his home region in south-western Germany will whip up a selection of spaceworthy dishes and put these out for public vote. The most popular will be added to Matthias' space menu for his future mission, but he will not taste the winning Saarland speciality until he is on board. Matthias says good food is extra important for astronauts on long-duration missions ... read more