XTBG has ever sent some plant seeds to the Seed-breeding Satellite. Recently some Jatropha curcas seeds returned from the space have been sowed in the Garden after careful screening.  

  Scientists from the Space-breeding Center of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science said that space seed breeding is aimed at discovering what happens to the germination and sprouting of plants when they are exposed to zero gravity.

  After being exposed to cosmic radiation and aero gravity, some seeds may mutate and produce higher yields and improved quality when planted back on earth, scientists said.

   XTBG will use the seeds of Jatropha curcas, a kind of energy plant for bio-diesel, to develop new strands featuring high yields, good quality and high efficiency.

  Since 1987, China has carried out seed breeding tests on nine satellites.