Ensuring food security: the Chinese people's rice bowl must always be held firmly in our own hands

On January 10, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference was grandly held in the solemn Great Hall of the People. The achievement "Research and Application of Two-Line Hybrid Rice Technology" obtained by our research team won the Special Prize for Science and Technology Progress. When presenting the award, General Secretary Xi Jinping said to me kindly: "Thank you for your new contributions. I hope you will continue your efforts and scale new heights!"

The General Secretary's encouragement and expectations inspired us greatly. Although I am over 80 years old, I still want to be like an old steed in the stable, cherishing high aspirations. Last year, we tackled the fourth-phase super hybrid rice with a target yield of 1000 kg per mu and achieved new progress of 988.1 kg/mu. We strive to achieve the target of 1000 kg per mu before 2015, making new contributions to food security and peace in our country and the world.

In 1964, China began researching hybrid rice. At that time, classical genetics held that self-pollinating crops show no degeneration after selfing, and therefore hybridization shows no heterosis. However, through our research, we successfully achieved the "three-line" matching system in 1973, and then successfully developed supporting technologies. In 1976, hybrid rice began to be rapidly promoted on a large scale across the country. Hybrid rice yields about 20% more than conventional rice. In recent years, the annual planting area of hybrid rice has exceeded 240 million mu, accounting for 57% of the total rice planting area, while its output accounts for about 65% of total rice production. Hybrid rice increases rice production by about 2.5 million tons annually, which can feed 70 million more people each year.

I have always believed: doing scientific research is like high jumping - after clearing one height, a new height awaits you. If you do not keep jumping, sooner or later you will fall behind others. To continue exploring and raising the level of utilizing rice heterosis, we need to further broaden our thinking and carry out innovative research. In 1986, we formulated a breeding strategy for hybrid rice, dividing hybrid rice breeding into three strategic development stages: utilization of inter-varietal heterosis based mainly on the three-line method; utilization of inter-subspecific heterosis based mainly on the two-line method; and utilization of distant heterosis based mainly on the one-line method. Each entry into a new stage represents a new breakthrough, thereby pushing rice yields to a higher level. In 1987, two-line hybrid rice research was included in the national "863" Program. This was a nationwide collaborative project, with dozens of experts from sixteen collaborating units forming a task force to carry out collaborative research. In 1995, two-line hybrid rice made important progress, yielding 5%-10% more than three-line hybrid rice of the same maturity period, and generally with better grain quality. This research was China's original creation. Its success was a major breakthrough in crop breeding, once again demonstrating the wisdom of China's hybrid rice science and technology workers and continuing to keep China's hybrid rice research at the world's leading level.

Scientific exploration knows no end. Among the many factors causing world turbulence today are factors involving food security. In order to meet the food demand of the growing population in the twenty-first century and ensure food security, in 1997 we embarked on the journey of researching super hybrid rice. We followed the morphological model and breeding technical route for super-high-yield hybrid rice aimed at improving photosynthetic efficiency, and carried out research. We successively achieved the goals of first-phase large-scale demonstration yield of 700 kg per mu in 2000, second-phase large-scale demonstration yield of 800 kg per mu in 2004, and third-phase large-scale demonstration yield of 900 kg per mu in 2012. Now, we plan to cultivate new super-high-yield combinations with strong lodging resistance by increasing plant height and utilizing the powerful inter-subspecific heterosis. In 2013, the research team won its first battle. On September 28, the Ministry of Agriculture organized an expert group to inspect and accept the fourth-phase super hybrid rice mid-season pioneer combination "Y Liangyou 900" hundred-mu demonstration plot in Niuxing Village, Yangguao Township, Longhui County, Hunan Province, with an average yield of 988.1 kg per mu, setting a new record for large-area yield.

At present, we have three major research and development projects targeting the development of hybrid rice: the super hybrid rice super-high-yield research project, the "plant three, produce four" high-yield project, and the "three-one" project.

Super hybrid rice super-high-yield research project. From the theory of light energy utilization by rice, 5% of solar radiation can be converted into organic matter. Halving this theoretical figure, calculating at a light energy utilization rate of 2.5%, the radiation amount in Changsha for a single-season rice crop can reach 1500 kg. Therefore, after achieving 1000 kg, climbing to even higher yields is entirely possible in theory. We boldly hypothesize: semi-tall varieties with a plant height of about 1.3 m can have a yield potential of 15-16 tons/hectare; new plant-type tall varieties with a plant height of about 1.5 m can have a yield potential of 17-18 tons/hectare; super-tall hybrid rice with a plant height of 1.8-2.0 m can have a yield potential of 18-20 tons/hectare. Starting from plant-type improvement, we need to breed new combinations with excellent morphology, moderate looseness and tightness, relatively strong tillering ability, and little difference between the main panicle and tiller panicles. In order to solve the problem of strong lodging resistance in super-high-yield tall varieties, we should use powerful inter-subspecific combinations to make the root system very well developed; the rice panicles should droop to lower the center of gravity; and we should use rice germplasm resources with very hard stems, short and thick basal internodes, and heavy base with light top. By combining these measures, it is possible to select super-high-yield combinations with strong lodging resistance.

"Plant three, produce four" high-yield project. The "plant three, produce four" high-yield project means applying the technological achievements of super hybrid rice and striving to produce the total grain output currently obtained from four mu of land on three mu of land. Hunan Province's goal is to strive to expand to 15 million mu by 2016, producing a total grain output equivalent to that of 20 million mu in 2005, which equals adding 5 million mu of farmland. The "plant three, produce four" high-yield project has always received great attention and support from the Hunan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government. In 2007, it was first launched in 20 counties within the province. By 2013, it had expanded to implementation in 51 counties (cities and districts), with a demonstration area reaching 8.822 million mu and total increased rice output reaching 1.095 billion kg. At present, Anhui, Henan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces are also actively following up with the implementation of the "plant three, produce four" high-yield project. It is hoped that by 2020, it will expand to 60 million mu nationwide, producing the grain formerly produced by 80 million mu, which equals adding 20 million mu of farmland.

"Three-one" project. The "three-one" project means applying super hybrid rice technology so that three-tenths of a mu can produce 360 kg of grain annually, enough for one person's full year of food ration. Hunan Province's goal is to strive to expand to 5 million mu by 2020 (about nine percent of the province's cultivated land), producing enough grain to feed twenty-four percent of the province's population. The "three-one" project has been tested and demonstrated at multiple sites in Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong. Among them, the pilot work in Liling and Shimen in Hunan initially succeeded in 2013.

"Develop hybrid rice to benefit the people of the world" - this is my greatest wish in life and my lifelong pursuit. General Secretary Xi once said: the Chinese people's rice bowl must always be held in our own hands. I believe that there is absolutely no problem for the Chinese people to feed themselves! To achieve the goal of the Chinese people feeding themselves, first, the red line of 1.8 billion mu must not be breached. Second, the state should introduce even better policies to strengthen agriculture and benefit farmers, and increase support for agriculture. Third, scientific planting. In addition, among the world's top ten seed industry enterprises, China currently does not rank. We should combine government forces with market forces to promote the long-term and rapid development of China's seed industry, and support several good enterprises to enhance their international competitiveness, go abroad, and seize the international market.

At present, China's grain output has increased for 10 consecutive years, yet no one in rural areas is farming the land. How can food security be guaranteed? Of course, China's policies to strengthen agriculture and benefit farmers are very good, but they need improvement. Subsidies based on mu of land are not the right approach. Direct subsidies should be based on how much grain farmers sell. In this way, abandoned land cannot receive that subsidy, and through this method, farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain can be better promoted.

When we researched super rice in the past, in the 1970s and 1980s, the first thing to solve was the problem of food and clothing. Now living standards have improved. Everyone not only demands to eat enough, but also demands to eat well, so quality goals are placed first in research. For the super hybrid rice we are now breeding, one measure is that it must at least meet the Ministry of Agriculture's second-grade high-quality rice standard.

The Chinese people's rice bowl must always be held in our own hands. I have two dreams. The first dream is the dream of enjoying the cool beneath the rice plants. We are working hard to gradually realize it. We are currently tackling the fourth-phase super hybrid rice with a large-area demonstration field yield of 1000 kg per mu. The plan is set for 2020, but judging from current progress, it is expected to be achieved within the next two years. As long as I am in good health, I will also strive toward breeding fifth-phase super hybrid rice, until I realize my "dream of enjoying the cool beneath the rice plants." The second dream is the dream of hybrid rice covering the globe. The world has 2.25 billion mu of rice. In 2013, China's hybrid rice was promoted on more than 6 million hectares in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the United States, Brazil and other countries, equivalent to 90 million mu, with average yield per hectare about 2 tons higher than local improved varieties. At present, hybrid rice accounts for less than 15% of total rice area. If half of the world's rice fields were planted with hybrid rice, the increased grain output, calculated at an average increase of two tons per hectare, could feed 400-500 million more people.