Breeding Salt-Alkali Tolerant Potato Varieties through Space-Exposed Seeds

Exciting news from China! 🇨🇳 Chinese researchers have launched an innovative project to breed salt-alkali tolerant potato varieties using seeds that spent over 180 days in space aboard the Shenzhou-16 spaceship.

Here’s what you need to know about this groundbreaking initiative:

66,500 potato seeds were transported into space and subjected to cosmic radiation and microgravity, stimulating genetic mutations and potential improvements.

After returning to Earth, the seeds underwent germination, cultivation, and transplantation processes, setting the stage for further evaluation.

Researchers at the technology innovation center of Xisen Potato Industry Co., Ltd. in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are leading the project.

The goal is to identify superior seed varieties with enhanced characteristics, including salt-alkali tolerance and higher yields.

Advanced gene-editing technology will be employed alongside traditional genetic breeding methods to accelerate the development of these improved potato varieties.

This project holds promise for revolutionizing potato cultivation, providing solutions for challenging soil conditions and contributing to sustainable agriculture practices.

Chinese researchers have embarked on breeding experiments using potato seeds that spent over 180 days in space . The goal is to develop salt-alkali tolerant potato varieties with higher yields . Through the utilization of space breeding techniques and advanced gene-editing technology, the researchers aim to identify superior seed varieties that exhibit improved characteristics. This project holds promise for enhancing potato cultivation and addressing challenges related to soil conditions.

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