Seeds in space: FAO’s “cosmic crops” astrobiology experiment could unlock new varieties

28 Mar 2023 --- Seeds that were sent to space by the the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are returning to Earth next month, following an experiment to develop crops that adapt to climate change and help boost global food security.

Upon their return, scientists at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture plan to grow the seeds and screen them for beneficial traits to understand space-induced mutations better and identify new varieties.

With the world’s population estimated to reach almost ten billion by 2050, there’s a clear need for innovative solutions through science and technology aimed at producing more food, crops and farming practices that are more sustainable.

Arabidopsis and sorghum crop varieties tested
The seeds that traveled to space belong to two plant species: arabidopsis, a type of cress studied extensively by plant botanists and geneticists, and sorghum, which belongs to the family of millets and is a drought- and heat-tolerant grain grown in many developing countries for food.

In November, seeds from the IAEA and FAO laboratories traveled in an uncrewed cargo shuttle from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to space.

Arabidopsis and sorghum seeds have been selected for the experiment because there is already a large bank of genetic knowledge to draw up for analysis and comparison. (Credit: IAEA)Delivered by the US Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the seeds embarked on the 408 km journey.

While in space, they were exposed to the prevailing conditions – a complex mixture of cosmic radiation, microgravity and extreme temperatures – inside and outside the International Space Station (ISS).

“Resilience in nature”
At an FAO event in Vienna this week, FAO director-general Qu Dongyu said: “I am proud of our partnership with IAEA, bearing fruits both on Earth for years and now with seeds that traveled through space.”

He also explained that he is “in awe of the resilience of nature and excited by the endless benefits that space exploration can bring to transform our agri-food systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable across the globe.”

Meanwhile, IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi commented: “This is a science that could impact people’s lives in the not-too-distant future by helping us grow stronger crops and feed more people.”

“IAEA and FAO scientists may have already been mutating seeds for 60 years and creating thousands of stronger crops for the world to use, but this is the first time we have experimented with such an exciting field as astrobiology,” added Grossi.

Cosmic experiments
While similar experiments have been carried out since 1946, this is the first time that the IAEA and FAO are conducting genomic and biological analyses on seeds sent to space in around 60 years of experience in inducing plant mutations.

Once grown, a series of analyses will help understand whether cosmic radiation and harsh space conditions can lead to crops becoming more resilient in the face of increasingly difficult growing conditions on Earth.

At the start of this year, FoodIngredientsFirst explored in further detail why seeds of arabidopsis and sorghum were used for the experiment. 

Edited by Elizabeth Green