China sets new world record with hybrid rice yield

Updated: 2011-09-19 16:53

(Xinhua)

  Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按钮 0

CHANGSHA - The yield of China's newly-developed hybrid rice breed, known as super rice, has exceeded 900 kg per mu (0.067 hectare), setting a new world record in rice output.

The rice breed, DH2525 (Y two superior No 2), produced a harvest of 926.6 kg per mu during its trial plantation in Longhui county in central China's Hunan province, according to the provincial academy of agriculture at a press conference on Sept 19.

To ensure the accuracy of the yield, a team of experts under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) randomly selected three out of the 107.9 mu trial field's 18 plots and supervised the harvest on Sept 18.

DH2525 was developed by Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice," who started developing hybrid rice in the 1960s. His research team reached the target unit yield of 700 kg per mu and 800 kg per mu in 1999 and 2005, respectively, setting world records both times.

With skills honed by his team over the past decades, Chinese farmers are estimated to have harvested 300 billion kilograms more in aggregate output. Their hybrid rice, therefore, became known as super rice.