A record-breaking 545-kilogram "space pumpkin" developed through China's cosmic breeding program was auctioned for RMB 300,000 to Middle Eastern agricultural firm SpaceAgri, signaling a major commercialization milestone for the country's aerospace agriculture sector. The mammoth squash – grown from seeds mutated in space – will be exhibited in Hong Kong later this year, SpaceAgri announced June 26.
From Space Lab to Global Food Security
The orange behemoth, cultivated by Wuhan-based SpaceAgri after its seeds underwent cosmic radiation exposure aboard Chinese spacecraft, represents China's transition from follower to leader in high-biomass crop breeding. What sets this project apart is its integration of blockchain technology throughout the cultivation chain – from spaceflight and ground selection to growth monitoring – creating an immutable digital record for the entire lifecycle.
The auction also debuted blockchain-based digital certificates for other space-bred crops like rice, tomatoes, and eggplants, pioneering new models for protecting and monetizing seed intellectual property.
Strategic Disruption of Global Seed Monopoly
This agricultural breakthrough carries geopolitical significance, challenging the U.S.-dominated commercial seed market while advancing China's Belt and Road Initiative through technology sharing. With its self-developed space mutagenesis techniques and germplasm bank, China now offers developing nations an alternative solution for food security and seed sovereignty.
Middle East Collaboration
SpaceAgri revealed plans to install Chinese-designed space simulation breeding pods in its AI-controlled vertical farms across the Middle East, collaborating with Chinese research institutions to tackle extreme-environment agriculture. "This partnership will explore next-generation solutions for water-scarce regions," a company representative stated.
The pumpkin will tour multiple cities before its Hong Kong debut, allowing the public to witness this fusion of space technology and agricultural innovation firsthand.
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