Chinese scientists have harvested the first rice crop from seeds that were taken to the Moon and returned to Earth on the Chang’e-5 spacecraft.
The rice seeds, which were brought to the Moon on the Chang’e-5 mission in mid-December of last year, were harvested by scientists from South China Agricultural University in Guangdong after 7 months of care in their experimental field.
“Space rice” produces grains up to 1 cm long, with each plant yielding 40 grams of rice. (Photo: Sohu).
The team collected 3 bags of rice from 2,000 rice plants, with a small portion sent for testing and the remaining used for further cultivation. The rice plants grew over 1 meter tall, with particularly long grains measuring up to 1 cm, plump and robust, some of which were white and others brown. Each plant produced 40 grams of rice.
According to the research team, this difference is due to the rice seeds being cultivated in space. The process involved the use of high-energy radiation, including microgravity, alternating magnetic fields, high vacuum, and other space environmental conditions to induce mutations in the crop seeds. Under these conditions, the mutation frequency of the seeds was relatively high, reaching up to 10%. Since no foreign genes were introduced, the rice cultivated in space is not classified as genetically modified.
Based on these results, the research team plans to grow and harvest rice from these seeds using intensive farming methods to create new indigenous rice varieties that are highly resilient, pest-resistant, and with improved yield and flavor.
For over 40 years, China has cultivated hundreds of plant varieties that were bred in space, including vegetables, grains, and other crops. Among these, rice bred in space holds significant value for scientific research, as seeds that have been influenced by space conditions can serve as a foundation for developing new crop varieties with higher yields and better quality.
