China is growing giant food with seeds from outer space

While most governments are reacting to the global food shortage by growing more food, the Chinese have decided to grow the same amount of fruits and vegetables, but with A TWIST: giant versions of standard food staples: 210-pound pumpkins, 2-pound tomatoes, and cucumbers that are over 2-feet long -- that are currently feeding families in 22 of China's provinces, and governments in Europe, Japan and elsewhere are taking notice.

This weird, believe-it-or-not scenario becomes even more fantastic as it turns out that the reason these foods can grow so huge is because they've been sent to outer space. The seeds get blasted into outer space, and, after they return, transform into enormous eatables -- but no one knows why.

The China Academy of Sciences, working with the then Soviet Union, first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987. Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.

Scientists have yet to offer a definitive explanation of why space causes the seeds to mutate but they believe that cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part.

Once the seeds are returned from space they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected. The seeds from these plants are then bred over at least another three generations to ensure they remain stable.

Futuristic greenhouses in southern China give birth to 15-stone pumpkins - 10 times their normal size - 160lb Chinese winter melons, chilli plants the size of small trees with fiery 9in-long fruit which look more like exotic peppers. Alongside are 14lb aubergines, 2lb tomatoes and 2ft cucumbers.

Chinese scientists claim some space fruit and veg are better than the original. The Vitamin C content in some vegetables is nearly three times higher and there is a marked increase in trace elements such as zinc. Yields of space rice are also 25 per cent higher. Research also shows that certain space breeds use proportionately less water than their more traditional predecessors so they could be perfect for arid areas.

To date China has bred more than 50 new species of plants and has plans to produce more than 200 new species.