In 2011, Japan initiated the first "Asian Seeds" programme in space, when seeds collected from several Asian countries were sent to the International Space Station and then returned to Earth. These seeds were then used for various experiments.
The Impatiens seed that may come with your seed package (if you are amongst the lucky one to get a sample) are from that lot.
Asian Seeds Programme 2013
The second "Asian Seeds" round of the programme is planned for Q4 2013.
This time, a batch of Azuki beans will be grown for seven days onboard the Japanese module of the International Space Station, also known as Kibo. Astronauts will film the entire process of the Azuki beans sprouting in space and transmit the images back to Earth. This is a very important experiment because it gives clues to the specific ways in which plants may grow in space compared to those on Earth. The astronauts will also assess the plants at the end of the growth period for the suppleness of their stems.
Seeds from the same seed batch have been shared with other countries in the Asia-Pacific Region, including New Zealand, to allow students to collaborate on this project.
Participants to this round of the programme will grow the Azuki bean seeds supplied in the same way as the astronauts on the ISS.
After seven days of observation, the growth patterns of the seeds from Earth will be compared with the images transmitted from space. Participants can submit their recorded observations to the Kibo-ABC webpage and compare them with other people's results. These experiments will help our understanding of the differences between how plants develop in microgravity (on the ISS) compared to Earth.
Participating countries in the Asian Seeds (2013):
Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand Thailand and Vietnam.
