China looks to space in its fight against desert expansion
18 June 2019
Guo Rui, director of Yangling Seeds Corporation, leads a state-funded space breeding center founded in August 2018 in China's northwestern province of Shaanxi. The center's mission is to cultivate high-quality crop and tree seeds to curb the expansion of the Gobi Desert. The next satellite, carrying seeds into orbit, is set to be launched within a year. Extraterrestrial conditions such as high radiation, low temperature, and zero gravity enable the production of seed variations that are superior in both quality and output, Guo explained. Space breeding involves sending seeds attached to a satellite into orbit for a few days. Then upon their return to Earth, mutated seeds are selected, based on favorable genetic traits, ranging from resistance to extreme weather to extra nutrients, and planted. "The cultivation period of such high-quality seeds is reduced from eight years to four years," Guo added.
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Space breeding center facilitates seed upgrading in northwest China
18 June 2019
A space breeding center in Shaanxi province is cultivating plants with space breeding technology so as to upgrade ordinary seeds and resist the dry climate in northwest China.
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China's state-of-the-art satellites great assets for global meteorological service: WMO head
14 June 2019
China's state-of-the-art meteorological service system and Fengyun satellites are great assets for enhancing global meteorological capability, especially for island and African countries, the head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on 13 June. Speaking during the 18th World Meteorological Congress (WMC) in Geneva, Switzerland, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas highly valued China's contribution in helping deliver and enhance global meteorological service under the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)."
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China and Kyrgyzstan signs cooperative agreement in FY satellite services to provide support for scientific cooperation and disaster preparedness
14 June 2019
On June 13, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s national visit to Kyrgyzstan, representatives from both sides signed the Agreement between the China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic on Cooperation in Fengyun Meteorological Satellites Services. The signing of this agreement aims to promote bilateral meteorological scientific cooperation to new heights, elevate FY satellites application level, improve disaster preparedness and reducation service capacity, and provide support for security and well-being of people from the two countries and the socio-economic development, as well as promoting regional cooperation, which marks a new chapter for the bilateral meteorological cooperation.
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China Meteorological Administration promotes “Belt and Road” meteorological cooperation with several countries
14 June 2019
On June 12, amidst 18th World Meteorological Congress, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) signed FengYun satellites application cooperative agreement with meteorological departments of Mozambique and Oman respectively, and consulted on deepening cooperation and promoting “Belt and Road” meteorological cooperation with meteorological departments of the South Africa and Namibia.
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