Yunnan looks to breed Chinese herb seeds in space  

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.