Typically exposing plant parts such as seeds, stems, pollen grains etc. to radioactive isotopes (e.g. gamma radiation and x-ray) and chemical mutagens (e.g. ethyl methanesulfonate [EMS]) induce vital mutations for plant breeding programs.
BUT Natural radiation and microgravity in space induce genetic mutations for selection. Below is a summary:
- Grow plants in the space station to maturity for one or few cycles.
- Space grown plants are exposed to natural stresses (reduced soil moisture, nutrients, and carbon dioxide during reproduction).
- This stress is induced by natural cosmic radiation (cosmic rays and effluvia from the sun) and earth’s gravity both enhancing genetic mutations.
- Seeds harvested from space-grown plants can be grown on Earth to select novel mutants under glasshouse and field conditions for various traits (e.g. tolerance to drought and heat stress, resistance to insect pests and diseases, early maturity, flower colour, plant architecture, reduced plant height, improved gas exchange, better root growth etc.).
- The new mutant varieties can be bred further or the seed deployed to farmers for commercial production.
Satellite missions and subsequent selections have produced some 200 improved crop varieties in China.
StarLab Oasis, a private organisation, is set up to raise plants in space for this purpose.
It reads like science fiction, but it is a fascinating, optimistic and complementary tool to conventional breeding.
I hope this service will be available for major crops in the near future. I cannot wait to send my seeds to the International Space Station (ISS), and I hope you do too.
The above read is extracted from
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/outer-space-offers-plant-breeders-some-curious-advantages/21807014
Shimelis Hussein
Professor of Plant Breeding
University of KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
E-mail: [email protected]
Dear @Hussein Shimelis Yes, there are several reports and reviews that have thrown lights on space breeding:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.771985/full
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202011/13/WS5faddbf8a31024ad0ba93d27_2.html
https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:42072677
http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0629/c90000-9866505.html
https://qaafi.uq.edu.au/article/2017/12/space-age-plant-breeding-lights-way-future-crops
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/outer-space-offers-plant-breeders-some-curious-advantages/21807014
I don't know whether the space bred varieties of crop plants have been tested in other countries. I doubt varieties bred under microgravity (zero gravity) will perform similarly under the influence earth's gravity. Moreover, the basic philosophy remains the same, that is, radiation induced genetic alteration which leads mostly to recessive and deleterious mutations. Although application of artificial mutagenesis to crop improvements started as early as 1928 by Stadler in barley, it never gained much importance in practical crop improvement. Even through site directed mutagenesis, not much has been achieved so far. If China has achieved so much in a short span (just in 3 decades), I call it highly impressive achievements! Let China share its space bred varieties to other countries to assess their performance!
Interesting, but what is the discussion or question? :)
Thanks Andrew and All,
It will be interesting if anyone can share working experience and results.
In my opinion, we should create an artificial and isolated space, for example, made of a glass-like material that repels harmful radiation and transmits the radiation needed by the plant, just as the ozone layer does for the earth, and the drain of this device is a CO2 maker. And a device that converts water into water vapor over time so that the external and internal environment of the device is somewhat like the ground conditions, then inside this device we can grow plants and if we can make this device somewhat large, we can live in Hopefully space without the need for oxygen capsules. It all depends on the material of the outer surface of the device and the interactions we perform within the hypothetical device so that the conditions for plant growth are fully prepared.
Mahyar, do you think this condition will induce genetic mutations? The goal is to create genetic variations for selection and variety design.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Agriculture
- Horticulture
- Seeds