A staff plants sealwort seeds that have gone to outer space and back in a cultivation base in Jiangshan. [Photo by Huang Shuifu]

Over 400 sealwort seeds ended their 90-day trip in space aboard the Shenzhou XII spacecraft and were planted in a cultivation base in Jiangshan, a county-level city in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, local media reported on April 7.

Cultivating seeds that have gone to outer space and back can create new varieties, said Zhu Weidong, director of the institute of Chinese medicinal materials of Quzhou agriculture and forestry academy.

According to Zhu, the special conditions in outer space, such as strong radiation, high vacuum, microgravity and large temperature differences cause seeds to gain genetic mutations, accelerate the mutation process, and increase the frequency of mutation.

The new varieties are expected to boast characteristics such as high quality, high yield, early maturity and strong immunity.

To date, the planting area of sealwort in the city has reached 14,500 mu (966.67 hectares) and generated an output value of 150 million yuan ($23.53 million). It has helped nearly 10,000 farmers increase their income by 50 million yuan. If the cultivation is successful, the quality, scale and benefit of the sealwort industry will be significantly improved.