Yield of sea-rice developed by 'father of hybrid rice' to be estimated

The production of sea rice developed by "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping's team is to be estimated on Sept 28 at the Sea Rice Research and Development Center in Qingdao, thepaper.cn reported.

Over 30 experts from scientific research institutes including China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, China Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center under the Ministry of Land and Resources, and Hunan Agricultural University will conduct the mission at the center on that day.

The estimation is expected to lay a solid foundation for the success of sea-rice development, said Zhang Guodong, deputy director of the center, adding that it will let people know the latest progress in its development and give them confidence, which will help promote the reclamation of saline-alkali land in China.

Sea rice yield is projected to reach at least 300 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares) by 2020, Yuan said in his speech at the 2017 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Huangdao Forum, which took place on Sept 7 and 8 in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Yuan also noted in his speech that there is a total of 950 million hectares of saline-alkali land in the world and 100 million hectares in China, of which 280 million mu can be used to plant the rice.

The researchers hope to bring benefit to mankind by developing the rice, which can adapt to saline-alkali soil.