Next Goal in Hybrid Rice

The research achievements in hybrid rice of scientist Yuan Longping, internationally regarded as the ‘father of hybrid rice,’ rewrote the history of rice cultivation in China in the second half of the 20th century. In 2003,

The research achievements in hybrid rice of scientist Yuan Longping, internationally regarded as the ＇father of hybrid rice,＇ rewrote the history of rice cultivation in China in the second half of the 20th century. In 2003, Yuan Longping made a breakthrough in bilinear hybrid rice research. In two small demonstration fields, the perhectare yield of super-class hybrid rice reached 12 ll2 kg and 12 261 kg and now large scale trials of this superclass hybrid rice are being conducted. At present, as much as 50 percent of China＇s total rice fields grow Yuan Longping＇s hybrid rice species, yield 60 percent of the rice production in China. Due to Yuan＇s hard work, China＇ s total rice output rose from 5.69 billion tons in 1950 to 19.47 billion tons last year, about 300 billion kilograms more have been produced over the last twenty years. The annual yield is enough to feed 60 million people.