Developing indica-type hybrid rice in China (Country Report)

摘要

Hybrid rice has made great contributions to China’s food security since 1976.Indica is the main type of hybrid rice in China and research and development on it began in 1964 by professor L.P. Yuan and his group. The crop has passed through four stages of development: the initial stage, the fast-growing stage,the strategic adjustment stage, and the new developing stage. Work has covered three-line and two-line breeding systems; breeding heterotic hybrids with high yield, good grain quality, and resistance to diseases and insect pests; breeding intra- and intersubspecific and per-high-yielding hybrids; agronomic management packages; seed production techniques; and related basic studies.Since hybrid rice was first commercialized in China in 1976, the total hybrid rice-growing area is now up to around 60–65% of the total rice-growing area,and indica-type hybrid rice always makes up more than 90% of the total hybrid rice in the country. Increasing breeding efficiency and seed production yield through innovations in applied and basic studies to increase growing area is the major challenge for the further development of indica hybrid rice in China.