Super Rice Breaks 1,000 Kilograms per Mu: Ministry of Agriculture Announces New Record
According to a report by China National Radio's "News and Newspaper Digest," the Ministry of Agriculture announced yesterday (the 10th) that the fourth-phase Chinese super rice led by Academician Yuan Longping has exceeded 1,000 kilograms per mu. The review and renewal of safety certificates for genetically modified insect-resistant rice and high-phytase corn, which expire in August this year, are being carried out in accordance with regulations.
Tang Ke, Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, introduced that the Ministry of Agriculture has organized experts to conduct yield measurements for the fourth-phase Chinese super rice 1,000-kilogram-per-mu research project led by Academician Yuan Longping, and the super rice per-mu yield has set a new record.
Tang Ke: The yield measurement results show that the first-phase super rice 100-mu plot in Xupu County, Hunan Province, exceeded 1,000 kilograms per mu, setting a new record of 1,026.7 kilograms.
Tang Ke revealed that, including “super rice,” China bred more than 370 new varieties of food and cash crops during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period. In addition, China has achieved a series of major accomplishments in genetically modified organism breeding. It has overcome 8 core technologies including gene cloning, transgenic operation and biosafety assessment, obtained 96 key genes such as insect resistance, herbicide resistance, high quality and high yield, and broken the long-term technological monopoly of developed countries. It has cultivated new genetically modified insect-resistant cotton varieties such as Zhongmian 70, bringing the market share of domestically produced insect-resistant cotton to 95%.
Regarding the issue that the safety certificates for genetically modified insect-resistant rice and high-phytase corn expire in August this year, Kou Jianping, Director of the Science and Technology Law Enforcement Division of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that an application for renewal of the safety certificate for insect-resistant rice has been received from Huazhong Agricultural University and is under review; the agricultural department has not yet received an application for the safety certificate of genetically modified high-phytase corn.
Kou Jianping: According to the conditions for renewing safety certificates, if no unsafe problems have emerged, the safety certificate should continue to be issued. As for whether it will be issued and when, that depends on the progress of the review process.