Tech-driven climate chamber boosts Ganzhou corn breeding

A staff member introduces the artificial climate chamber in Ganzhou district, Zhangye, Gansu province. [Photo provided to gozhangye.com]

Ganzhou district in Zhangye, Gansu province, is leveraging technological innovation to transform its corn seed industry.

The launch of an artificial climate chamber at Zhangye Denghai Seeds' Northwest Research Center has tripled corn breeding efficiency, contributing to 381 new nationally and provincially approved varieties.

The high-precision intelligent laboratory operates year-round, replicating the light, temperature, humidity, air pressure and CO2 concentration of any environment through sensors, digital twins and AI algorithms.

This enables continuous breeding without seasonal constraints, overcoming traditional limitations of one or two generations per year.

The facility shortens breeding cycles, improves achievement conversion, and reduces costs by eliminating geographical barriers.

AI analyzes environmental data to predict optimal growth conditions, enhancing selection accuracy. It also enables integrated breeding, propagation and marketing while minimizing the risk of pests.

Ganzhou district encourages collaboration between seed enterprises and research institutions. It has established three corn seed technology platforms including Zhangye Denghai Seeds, nine research facilities, and Gansu's first academician workstation for a foreign academician.

These initiatives have yielded 381 new corn varieties, accounting for 53.2 percent of Zhangye's total. Seed purity, germination rate and improved variety coverage have reached 98 percent, 95 percent and 95 percent respectively, exceeding national standards.