Tomato seeds from Shandong's county take root in space

Editor's note: Shandong province, a coastal powerhouse in East China, is charting a dynamic course towards fostering new quality productive forces, driving economic growth and sustainable development. Shandong's approach to developing new quality productive forces serves as a model for sustainable economic growth and environmental stewardship. China Daily is publishing a series of stories to showcase Shandong's unwavering commitment to innovation, transformation, and sustainable growth.

"These tomato seeds, cultivated in space, exhibit remarkable traits. It's evident from their thicker stalks, accelerated growth, and earlier blooming," said Ren Sidang, president of the Tomato Association in Shanxian county, Shandong province.

Ren Sidang compares the regular tomato plants with those cultivated in space. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Shanxian county has a long history of tomato planting. Since 1987, it has developed 72 varieties, with 26 registered under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

"Seeds are the microchips of agriculture. Researching quality seeds is essential for boosting the reputation of tomatoes from Shanxian county and improving earnings for local farmers," said Zhang Hui, vice-president of the China Association for Science and Technology in Shanxian county.

In 2023, the county's Tomato Association joined forces with the Space Breeding Industry Innovation Alliance. Following expert review, 7,000 tomato seeds from the county were selected for cultivation in space on May 30.

In the space environment of microgravity, high vacuum, and high-energy particle radiation, seeds are highly likely to induce gene mutations, making it an effective approach to innovate genetic resources.

After five months, the seeds returned to earth. Experts from the county's Tomato Association then handpicked 3,000 of them for a four-month-long field comparative experiment.

Various tomato varieties thrive in the greenhouses of Shanxian county. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

"We eagerly anticipate a potentially better harvest from the space-bred seeds," said Ren, who is also a breeding expert.

At present, the Shanxian county's Tomato Association has stored 30,000 samples of germplasm resources in its cold storage. (Edited by Zhang Ying)