The southern China island province of Hainan is emerging as a global leader in space breeding, following the recent return of seeds from space aboard China's first reusable and returnable satellite, Shijian-19.

Hainan took the initiative in April, when its agricultural department issued a call to related research institutes, universities, and seed enterprises to contribute seeds for this groundbreaking experiment.

Following a strict selection process involving over 200 proposals from more than 20 organizations, 50 kilograms of plant seeds were selected, encompassing nearly 60 types of crops, including rice, corn, passion fruit, and dragon fruit.

On September 27, these seeds were launched into space onboard Shijian-19. After a two-week mission, the satellite brought all the seeds back, marking a crucial step in Hainan's space breeding program. To date, only China, Russia, and the U.S. have successfully conducted space breeding experiments using satellites.

This technique offers numerous benefits such as high mutation efficiency, reduced breeding cycles, and an increase in beneficial mutations. Going forward, Hainan plans to utilize the "Nanfan seed breeding" technique to accelerate the transformation and promotion of material space breeding  achievements.

"Nanfan" in Chinese means "breeding in the south." It refers to a crop cultivation method that capitalizes on the milder winter and spring climates of Hainan and other southern regions of China. This practice allows for crops originally sown in summer in northern areas to undergo one or two additional growing cycles in the south, during the cooler seasons.

An official from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province said future efforts would focus on advancing research into high-yield, high-quality, and resilient crop varieties. Renowned institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, and Hainan University will be invited to engage in the research. With the support of national-level platforms, it is expected to introduce a series of new varieties that meet market demands as soon as possible.

Ma Yuhong, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province outlined specific strategies for Hainan's agricultural advancement:

•In the breeding of major crops, high-yielding, drought-resistant, and salt-tolerant superior varieties will be selected to ensure national food security;

•In the cultivation of specialty cash crops, the province will expedite the screening and promotion of outstanding mutants, such as space-bred tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, through intermediate propagation to boost the market competitiveness of Hainan's diverse agriculture.

•In the breeding of specialty tropical fruits, efforts will focus on developing heat-tolerant and disease-resistant varieties of mangoes, dragon fruits, and passion fruits to enhance the commercialization of Hainan's unique tropical produce.

The success of space breeding is a great example of developing new quality productive forces. Hainan is poised to deepen its integration of the "space + seed" strategy, thereby establishing a new brand identity for the province.