The seeds from which they grew were fired into space, where they orbited the Earth for two weeks.

Once they returned they were cultivated in hothouses, producing the monster specimens seen here.

Bumper crop: A scientist with a giant bitter melon

Breathtaking: Chillis have grown up to nine inches long

China has been experimenting with space plants since the 1980s.

Previously it has claimed that the near zero gravity conditions - microgravity - have created high-yield rice and wheat plants, and tomatoes and peppers with harvests ten to 20 per cent greater than normal.

The country is desperate to find new ways to feed its 1.3billion people, as farming land is gobbled up by factories.

The most recent batch of 2,000 seeds was launched into orbit in 2006 on the Shijian 8 satellite. Afterwards they were cultivated and the best specimens selected for further breeding.