Seeds launched into space as “out of this world” breeding project aims to develop climate-resilient crops

08 Nov 2022 --- Batches of seeds have been sent to space in a bid to develop new crops that can endure the ravages of climate change. The seeds are en route to the International Space Station today as part of a project headed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Seeds of arabidopsis, a plant commonly used in genetic experiments due to its unique features, and sorghum, a nutrient-packed grain used for food, animal feed and ethanol, are being used in the experiment.

The seeds will be exposed inside and outside the International Space Station for approximately three months to conditions prevailing in space, primarily microgravity, a complex mixture of cosmic radiation and extremely low temperatures.

These types of conditions can’t be replicated in a laboratory on Earth.

They will return to Earth, where scientists at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture will grow and screen them for valuable traits to understand space-induced mutations of plant seeds better.

The mission aims to help develop crops able to adapt to climate change on Earth.This technique is known as space mutagenesis. It identifies new varieties able to adapt to changing terrestrial conditions associated with climate change.

Climate change in the spotlight
Delivered by the US Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the seeds embark on the 408 km (orbit height) journey as the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Egypt continues into its third day, discussing pressing environmental challenges, including the significant impact of the climate crisis on the world’s agri-food production systems.

“Nuclear science once again is showing us its extraordinary capability to tackle climate change,” IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi says. “I am hopeful this experiment will bring about breakthroughs: results that we share freely with scientists and new crops that help farmers adapt to climate change and boost food supplies.”

Smallholder farmers worldwide urgently require resilient, high-quality seeds adapted to increasingly challenging growing conditions.

One avenue is space breeding which could help pave the way to better production and improved nutrition.

According to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land, the stability of the world’s food supply will decrease in the future, severely affecting its most vulnerable people. The new crop varieties from space could help farmers and decision-makers who need to make substantial changes and investments in adapting to a changing climate to sustain production and food quality.

Mutant crop varieties 
The ongoing experiment is based on almost 60 years of experience in inducing plant mutations, thereby speeding up their breeding with the help of radiation to develop new agricultural crop varieties.

So far, more than 3,400 mutant varieties of more than 210 plant species developed using induced genetic variation and mutation breeding – including numerous food crops, ornamentals and trees – have officially been released for commercial use in 70 countries.

This experiment will be the first time the IAEA and FAO conduct genomic and biological analyses of seeds exposed to space mutagenesis. 

Battling biodiversity losses
This project will be part of the IAEA, and FAO portfolio of climate change projects aimed at helping countries adapt to new climate realities, including food and water shortages and biodiversity losses, through nuclear science and technology.

At COP27, the IAEA and the FAO will organize an event on November 15 to highlight how joint energy, food and water resource planning and management can contribute to climate-resilient development.

Last week, the two organizations agreed to intensify collaboration in food and agriculture using nuclear science and technology. New work envisaged includes other key areas such as the ocean, the environment, water resources and nutrition.

Edited by Gaynor Selby