Cultivating the Future: Space-Bred Trees Thrive in China
12.08.2024 - 12:05
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
China’s first batch of Idesia polycarpa tree seeds, sent into space by the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft have successfully bred in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
Idesia polycarpa is one of China’s major woody oil trees, characterized by strong adaptability, fast growth, high yield, and high oil content.
Researcher Zeng Meiling: “These are the Idesia polycarpa seeds returned with the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft. We first sterilized them and then put them into a culture medium for breeding. In the next step, we moved them into a plant incubator with appropriate temperature, humidity, and illumination, so that they would break dormancy. This process usually lasts about 10 days. The seeds that sprouted were put into culture mediums in an effort to boost their growth.”
Researcher Wang Fang: “So far, they have been growing healthily. The leaves are extensive, and the plants are strong. When they are about 40 or 50 centimeters high, and the diameter of their stem reaches about one centimeter, they can be replanted into soil. After about three to four years, some of the female plants will begin to bear fruit. Then we will choose those that have high oil content and high resilience, for example to drought and cold, as the parental generation for asexual reproduction. The seedlings produced will then be popularized so that more farmers can use them.
Unless otherwise stated, © Copyright Emma Doughty 2024. Published on theunconventionalgardener.com.
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