What is Space rice? It is the rice harvested from seeds that w | KB AGRI OPTIONAL UPSC NEW DELHI

What is Space rice?
It is the rice harvested from seeds that went on a 23-day lunar voyage with China’s Chang’e-5 in November.
After being exposed to cosmic radiation and zero gravity, these seeds weighing around 40 gram returned and were harvested.
It is believed that rice seeds exposed to the environment in Space may mutate and produce higher yields once planted on Earth.
China has been taking seeds of rice and other crops to Space since 1987.
In 2018, the total plantation area for space crops approved in China reached more than 2.4 million hectares.