What exactly is the "immortal herb" that fell from the sky?
Recently, the first batch of Rabdosia rubescens seeds carried into orbit by Shijian-10, China's first microgravity science experiment satellite, returned to Earth with the recovery capsule, took root at the Jiyuan Space Bio-Breeding Experimental Base, was successfully raised into seedlings, and grew well after being planted in the field.
"This is the result of the joint efforts of the researchers at the Jiyuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences." Tian Ruichang, director of the Chinese Medicinal Materials Research Office of the Jiyuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Henan Province, said that the successful germination and seedling formation of these mutated seeds also marks that the Rabdosia rubescens industry in Henan Province has entered the stage of space bio-breeding experiments, and represents that Jiyuan's agricultural research has entered a new field of space research.
?High medicinal value
Rabdosia rubescens is a plant of the genus Isodon in the family Lamiaceae, with the scientific name Isodon rubescens. "It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing inflammation and relieving pain, and fighting tumors. It can be used for sore and swollen throat, abdominal masses, snake and insect bites, and has extremely high medicinal value." Tian Ruichang introduced.
"It is precisely because of these characteristics that Rabdosia rubescens is called the 'natural antibiotic'." Zheng Tingting, a researcher at the Jiyuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told reporters.
????Taking root and growing well
In August this year, researchers at the Jiyuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences took out a small portion of this batch of Rabdosia rubescens seeds that had returned from a 12-day "journey" in space for testing.
"The seeds were sprouted for 3~5 days, then sown into plug trays, and after another 20 days of growth, they were transplanted to the Jiyuan Space Bio-Breeding Experimental Base." Tian Ruichang introduced. During this process, most of the seedlings differentiated flower buds, averaging about 10 cm, with the tallest seedling growing to 14~15 cm.
The space seeds of Rabdosia rubescens sown this time, after stages such as sprouting and seedling raising, produced more than 130 seedlings in total. The researchers carefully tended them and observed the growth of the seedlings bred from the Rabdosia rubescens space seeds every day. After these seedlings were transplanted to the field, they grew well.
?Promoting the selection and breeding of new varieties
This mission of carrying out space radiation mutation aboard Shijian-10 mainly involved participating in life science experiments for space mutation breeding, with the aim of innovating germplasm resources. "Using the special radiation environment of outer space to cause chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations can change the crop's current functional components and content, and disease resistance will also change." Zheng Tingting said.