China's first International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-sponsored cooperation center has been established in Hangzhou, the capital of the eastern province of Zhejiang, Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Located at Zhejiang University's Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Xinhua said it is the first of 10 IAEA cooperation centers planned worldwide for non-military utilization of nuclear energy.

It is devoted to breeding crops by inducing genetic mutations in them, according to the institute, and will also undertake IAEA training programs and collect information on innovations in plant genetics.

Nuclear technology has been widely used for plant breeding by radiation-induced mutation, and with the help of such technology, the institute has bred more than 20 new plant species, including rice, maize and wheat.

The IAEA lists 75 active coordinated research projects in China on its website, four of which are with Zhejiang University and relate to the sustainable intensification of crop production systems.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2005)