Impact of Space Mutagenesis on Growth and Cone Variation in Cunninghamia lanceolata
Ronglin Liu1, Yizhuo Feng1, Zezhong Lin2, Daiquan Ye3, Hui Xiao2, Jinhua Huang3, Kehui Zheng4, Guangqiu Cao1, Shijiang Cao1,*, Renhua Zheng2,*
1 College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
2 Fujian Academy of Forestry, Fujian Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation and Forest Products Processing, Fuzhou, China
3 Fujian Yangkou State-Owned Forest Farm, Nanping, Fuzhou, China
4 College of Computer and Information Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
* Corresponding Author: Shijiang Cao. Email: 
; Renhua Zheng. Email: 
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.083495
Received 05 April 2026; Accepted 01 June 2026; Published online 17 June 2026
Abstract
Space-induced mutagenesis, as a tool for generating genetic variation, has been widely exploited in crop improvement. However, its mutagenic impact on long-lived forest trees—especially the long-term effects on traits expressed at reproductive maturity—remains systematically unassessed. In this study, we used Chinese fir (
Cunninghamia lanceolata), a key timber species in China, to evaluate the influence of the space environment on mature-phase traits. We compared growth and cone characters between a 14-year-old space-mutated plantation derived from seeds flown aboard the Shijian-8 recoverable satellite and a contemporaneously planted ground control stand. Mean diameter at breast height and individual stem volume were 18.0% and 44.4% higher, respectively, and needle length was 15.7% higher in the space-mutated stand compared with the control, while mean tree height was slightly reduced. Both positive and negative mutations were detected: some individuals outperformed the control, while others performed worse. This bidirectional effect suggests that space mutagenesis may have contributed to expanding the genetic diversity of Chinese fir, rather than guaranteeing universal improvement. The expanded variation provides valuable breeding materials, but rigorous selection is required to identify and fix beneficial alleles. These findings indicate that space mutagenesis should be viewed as a variation-generating tool for Chinese fir breeding, not as a direct yield-enhancing treatment.
Keywords
Space mutagenesis;
Cunninghamia lanceolata; inter-individual variation; inter-population variation; phenotypic variation
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