Space Golden Bell Melon successfully bred in Gansu

On August 24, a reporter learned from the Gansu Aerospace Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center that the Space Golden Bell Melon bred by the center is currently growing well and has reached the selection and breeding standard.

It is understood that the Gansu Aerospace Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center was established in 2001 and specializes in the selection and breeding, seed production, promotion and industrialized development of new aerospace crop varieties. It is a subordinate enterprise of the China Academy of Space Technology, an aerospace breeding innovation base of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and a key leading enterprise in agricultural industrialization in Gansu Province. In 2014, with the approval of the Gansu Provincial Academician Work Leading Group, an academician workstation was formally established.

According to Bao Wensheng, general manager of the center, the Space Golden Bell Melon was developed through integrated innovation using spaceflight carrying, space mutation, biotechnology and agricultural breeding techniques, and is a first-generation hybrid of an ornamental-type pumpkin. It is a vining type with strong plant growth and good continuous fruit setting. A single fruit weighs 0.5-0.8 kg. The melon surface has prism-shaped protrusions. It is suitable for cold dishes and light stir-frying, has an excellent taste, and is highly ornamental. Author: Li Xiaoguang