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Yuan Longping, internationally known as the "father of hybrid rice," has announced a breakthrough in an improved strain of super hybrid early rice.
The average yield per hectare of the new strain, HYS-1/105, amounts to 9,300 kilograms, 55 percent higher than that of common rice.
In addition to its high yield, the strain is superior in quality, in contrast to common rice. Prof. Yuan attributes the latter's inferiority to its early aging.
By integrating the merits of early and late rice, Yuan and his researchers have bred HYS-1/105 with a better shape of plants, high yield and the ability against early aging.
"Planting skills are as important as breeding," Yuan said. " Negligence of either won't promise a harvest."
Planted on some 200 million hectares in China, Yuan's hybrid rice has helped increase the total grain output by 300 billion kilograms in the past 22 years.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/03/2001)
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