Cloning of cypress trees 5,000 years old

A cypress tree thought to have been planted by the Emperor himself (the character in the Chinese myth) planted about 5,000 years ago and is the ancestor of many other plants that have been cloned successfully.

Cypress is a very long-lasting plant - (Photo: Heritageinstitute)

The various cloning methods used include cutting and grafting, resulting in 8 well-developed new trees.

Xinhua quoted lead researcher Jiang Zeping from the Chinese Academy of Forestry, saying that the seedlings were transferred from nutrient cups to larger pots to continue growing in the greenhouse.

The project started in April 2013 when scientists from the institute took samples and raised more than 1,500 different clones. The aging process is degrading the function of 'cypress tool' , so it is necessary to preserve the good gene of this giant. Scientists say that due to the high age of cypress, cloning is difficult with a success rate of less than 1%. Fortunately, the second generation copy was obtained after 3-5 years.

According to Xinhua, the project has great significance in conserving genetic resources, protecting rare and ancient species. This 5,000-year-old cypress tree is 20m high, grows in the Xyuanyuan temple area, near the Emperor's tomb in Shaanxi, China. This land has more than 30,000 ancient trees with a life of 1,000 years or more.