Hangzhi No.1, a new sesame variety, is the only variety in China developed through spaceflight technology.
Variety origin
"Hangzhi No.1" originated from the key project "Ninth Five-Year Plan Crop Spaceflight Technology Breeding" supported by the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1996, parent sesame seeds provided by the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences were carried aboard China's 17th recoverable satellite, stayed in space for 15 days and then returned to Earth. Since 1997, continuous multi-year ground selection was carried out. Through comparative trials on genetic stability, yield, quality and resistance, it was significantly superior to the control. From 2001 to 2002, it was advanced to the national sesame regional trial and the Hubei Province sesame regional trial. In 2002, this variety simultaneously passed the national sesame regional trial, the Hubei Province sesame regional trial and the production trial, and in 2003 it passed Hubei Province approval. In 2003, the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences authorized Hefei Fengle Seed Co., Ltd. exclusive development rights.
Variety characteristics
"Hangzhi No.1" plants are single-stem type, with a plant height of about 160 cm, reaching more than 200 cm under good cultivation conditions. The plant type is relatively compact. The middle and lower leaves are long elliptic, while the upper leaves are narrower and longer. The leaf color is light green. The growing point is robust, growth vigor is strong, and uniformity is high. The stems are thick and sturdy, and the root system is well developed. The corolla is white, and the amount of fine hair is moderate. There are three flowers per leaf axil. The capsules are four-angled and plump. At maturity, the stems, leaves and capsules are yellow-green, all middle and lower leaves have fallen off, and the yellowing trait is good. The capsules do not shatter, and the seed coat color is pure white. The general height of the first capsule is 45--50 cm, and the capsule axis length is more than 100 cm. The usual number of capsules per plant is about 100, with a maximum of more than 170. The average number of seeds per capsule is 65--70, the 1000-seed weight is 2.8--3.2 g, the oil content is 57.67%, and the protein content is 19.2%. Under summer sowing, the whole growth period in the Yangtze River basin is about 90 days.
Yield performance
In the two consecutive years from 2001 to 2002, it participated in the national sesame variety regional trial, with an average yield of 1288.8 kg/ha, ranking first, increasing yield by 11.82% compared with Yuzhi No.4 (CK1) and by 10.30% compared with the local control (CK2), with 96% of locations showing increased yield. The average crude fat content was 56.20%, with a maximum of 59.74%, and the average crude protein content was 20.23%. The average incidence of sesame stem spot disease was 14.16%, and the disease index was 5.53, both the lowest among the tested varieties, 47.11% and 60.39% lower than CK1, respectively. In the production trial, the average yield across 8 pilot sites in 4 provinces was 1110.45 kg/ha, an increase of 21.12% compared with the control Yuzhi No.4, with all pilot sites showing increased yield.
Key cultivation techniques
Sowing at the right time: spring sowing and wheat intercropping should be in early to mid-May, summer sowing should be from May 25 to June 5, and no later than June 10.
Rational fertilization: apply sufficient base fertilizer, with 25 kg per mu of N, P, K compound fertilizer; for high-yield cultivation, 35 kg may be applied. Apply early topdressing at the early flowering stage, and in combination with rain, apply 2.5--5 kg per mu of urea.
Planting density: 7500--8000 plants per mu for high-fertility plots, about 9000 plants per mu for medium-fertility plots, and about 10000--11000 plants per mu for poorer-fertility plots. (Sowing rate: 0.5 jin per mu for drilling and dibbling, 0.7--0.8 jin per mu for broadcasting)
Thin seedlings early and finalize seedlings in time: thin seedlings twice during the 1--3 pairs of true leaves stage, and finalize seedlings in time during the 4--5 pairs of true leaves stage.
Harvest appropriately late and dry rationally: it is advisable to harvest when the capsules on the lower part of the capsule axis turn yellow and a few have split open. After harvest, dry in small bundles so that the seed color is bright white and the oil yield is high.
"Hangzhi No.1" is currently the only new variety in China developed using spaceflight technology. No other unit or individual has yet applied this technology to sesame breeding. Beware of counterfeits.