Chinese super hybrid rice achieved a new output record

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China’s hybrid rice project headed by Yuan Longping has achieved a new world record as a yield of 17.2 tonnes rice per hectare at Yongnian super hybrid rice of agricultural sciences in north China’s Hebei Province on Monday.

The variety of rice set a new record named “Xiangliangyou 900”, due to its 16.8 tonnes per hectare output in Yuan’s Hebei and Yunnan provinces respectively. Both broke previous world records for the highest yield in high-latitude areas as well as output on 100 mu (66,667 square meters) of farmland.

According to a field hand, their fine management, including more irrigation and weeding, has contributed to the high yield.

Yuan Longping's team checking the quality of rice. /Hebei Daily Photo

87-year-old Yuan Longping, known as "the father of hybrid rice" in China, was born in Beijing. He graduated from Southwest Agricultural College in 1953, and then was assigned to teach crop genetics and breeding at an agricultural school in China's southern Hunan Province.

Yuan began rice production research about 50 years ago and has been breaking records in hybrid rice yields ever since. He was awarded a medal from the French government in recognition of his contribution to world food safety and others agricultural prize.

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