China sets new world record for rice yield

Shijiazhuang (Xinhua): Yuan Longping, renowned developer of hybrid rice, has set a new world record. A hybrid rice project headed by Yuan has achieved a yield of 1,149.02 kg of rice per mu (about 0.07 hectares), or 17.2 tons per hectare, in north China›s Hebei Province, local authorities said Monday. 

Yuan›s team grew «Xiang Liangyou 900,» on an experimental field of 100 mu in Yongnian District, Handan City. Organised by the provincial science and technology department, they randomly selected three plots on the field, and supervised the harvest on Sunday, said an official with the department. A total of 3,591.84 kg of rice was harvested on plots totalling 3.126 mu, which set the new world record at 1,149.02 kg of rice per mu, said the official.

According to a field hand, their fine management, including more irrigation and weeding, has contributed to the high yield. Last year, the crops yielded as much as 1,082.1 kg per mu and 1,088 kg per mu in Yuan›s two projects in Hebei and Yunnan respectively. Both broke previous world records for the highest yield in high-latitude areas as well as output on 100 mu of farmland. 

A new world record in output of double-cropping rice was also set in south China›s Guangdong last year, which achieved an annual yield of 1,537.78 kg of rice per mu of farmland. Known as China›s «father of hybrid rice,» Yuan began theoretical research about 50 years ago and has been setting new records of hybrid rice yields ever since. About 65% of Chinese people depend on rice as a staple food.

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