On 8 January 2025, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) announced the successful launch of electron beam breeding at the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Liuyang, Hunan Province. This milestone marks the first application of CGN’s electron beam in mutation breeding, and represents a significant step forward in the use of nuclear technology for agricultural innovation.

The platform is expected to drive the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries while promoting the development of strategic emerging industries. It will also provide advanced nuclear technology and equipment to support the ecological environment through the development of disease-resistant and high-yielding crops.

In recent years, CGN Nuclear Technology Development Co Ltd has aligned itself with the national innovation strategy for agricultural science and technology, focusing on the application of electron beam technology in modern agricultural fields such as breeding, preservation and sterilization. The company has been actively promoting the “Science and Technology + Agriculture” initiative nationwide.  

When completed, the platform will fill the gap in accelerator applications at the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, making it the first national agricultural research institute to have a comprehensive radiation breeding platform that integrates gamma rays, electron beams and X-rays. This advance will play a key role in the development of germplasm resources, the breeding of new varieties and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.  

(Source: China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy)