This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 30, 2023 shows Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship successfully docking with the radial port of core module Tianhe of the space station. (Xinhua/Li Jie)
BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Nine varieties of seeds, selected from north China's Shanxi Province, have been sent into space onboard the country's Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship, according to the Science and Technology Daily on Thursday.
The seeds will be used for space experiments on the country's space station Tiangong.
They include a type of corn seed, developed by the Shanxi Agricultural University, that has a planting area of about 4 million mu (about 266,667 hectares) in the province, with high yields and wide adaptability, according to the report.
The seeds need further improvement, especially in disease resistance, through conventional breeding methods or space breeding.
Space breeding involves exposing seeds and strains to cosmic radiation and microgravity during a spaceflight mission to mutate their genes.
Since conducting its first space breeding experiment in 1987, China has sent the seeds of hundreds of plant species into space on dozens of retrievable satellites and Shenzhou spaceships.
The Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship was launched and docked with the space station combination on Tuesday. ■
