Yunnan looks to breed Chinese herb seeds in space  

云南草药"神十"上天 太空育种成中药栽培新渠道

随着中药全球需求量不断增加、野生资源急剧减少，中药材人工育种、规模种植成为中国生物制药产业关注的重点。23日，正在实施“神十”龙胆草航天育种工程的植物专家——云南省农业科学院药用植物研究所所长金航接受记者采访表示，太空育种已成为云南中药材人工育种的新渠道。[查看全文]

Yunnan (CNS) -- Yunnan province is at the point of breakthrough for breeding seeds of Chinese herbs in space, a herb expert said Tuesday.

Jin Hang, head of the Institute of Medicinal Plants under the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science, said that nine grams of gentiana scabra seeds, a type of Chinese herb, have been carried into space aboard the Shenzhou-10.

The research team will later plant the seeds in experimental fields in Kunming and Lincang, Jin said.

"On the premise of maintaining yield, we aim to increase the amount of pharmacological components," he said. "Seeds of more Chinese herbs will be sent to space in the future to push the local pharmacological industry forward."

Seeds of certain herbs were carried into space in the past, but most failed to sprout.

Research into space seed breeding in China began in 1987. Space travel can change the genetic makeup of plant seeds, producing super-yielding varieties which are more productive, nutritious and disease-resistant than their earthly counterparts, according to researchers.