 ¡¡¡¡Born
in Peking, Yuan Longping graduated from Southwest
Agricultural College in China in 1953, and
then was assigned to teach crop genetics and
breeding at an agricultural school in Hunan
Province. He began his research in hybrid
rice development in 1964 and subsequently
was transferred to the Hunan Academy of Agricultural
Sciences in 1971 to serve as a research professor.
It was there, two years later, that he achieved
a major scientific breakthrough as he successfully
developed the genetic materials essential
for breeding high-yielding hybrid rice varieties.
¡¡¡¡Professor Yuan is widely acknowledged for
the discovery of the genetic basis of heterosis
in rice¡ªa phenomenon in which the progeny
of two distinctly different parents grow faster,
yield more, and resist stress better than
either parent. In developing his ¡°three-line
system¡± of hybrid rice, Professor Yuan and
his team soon produced a commercial hybrid
rice variety called Nan-you No. 2, which was
released in 1974. With yields 20 percent higher
than previous varieties, Professor Yuan¡¯s
new crop immediately began to improve food
availability in China.
¡¡¡¡In the three decades following his breakthrough
achievement, planting of this new crop has
spread so widely, so that now almost half
of China¡¯s rice production area is planted
in hybrid rice with a 20 percent higher
yield over previous varieties. This translates
into food to feed approximately 60 million
more people per year in China alone. Beyond
this exceptional accomplishment, Professor
Yuan has built an additional legacy of combating
food shortages and hunger through his:
¡¡¡¡--Developing of a new technique for increasing
hybrid seed yields through restriction of
self-pollination;
¡¡¡¡--Facilitating the establishment of the
hybrid rice seed production industry in
China;
¡¡¡¡--Developing new strategies to further
improve hybrid rice
¡¡¡¡--Developing a successful two-line system
of hybrid rice;
¡¡¡¡--Developing higher yielding ¡°super hybrid
rice¡±;
¡¡¡¡--Spreading his techniques for hybrid
rice throughout Asia and to Africa and the
Americas; and
¡¡¡¡--Training thousands of scientists and
researchers from over 25 countries.
¡¡¡¡Professor Yuan has shared his knowledge
and technology with foreign scientists,
providing them with crucial breeding materials
for the commercial production of hybrid
rice in their respective countries. Farmers
in more than ten other countries besides
China, including the United States, have
thus benefited from his work, gaining access
to a technology they may otherwise never
have enjoyed.
¡¡¡¡Philippines President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo praised Professor Yuan Longping for
¡°spurring the rapid development of hybrid
rice in the Philippines and other Asian
countries, such as Vietnam, India, Bangladesh,
Myanmar, and Indonesia.¡±
¡¡¡¡The Minister of Livestock, Agriculture
and Fisheries of Uruguay, Martin Aguirrezabala,
lauded Professor Yuan for the training programs
he conducted and for his valuable assistance
to developing countries in expanding hybrid
rice production.
¡¡¡¡Professor Yuan¡¯s pioneering research
has helped transform China from food deficiency
to food security within three decades. His
accomplishments and clear vision helped
create a more abundant food supply and,
through food security, a more stable world.
Professor Yuan¡¯s distinguished life¡¯s work
has caused many to call him the ¡°Father
of Hybrid Rice,¡± while his continuing research
offers even more promise for world food
security and adequate nutrition for the
world¡¯s poor.
¡¡¡¡Professor Yuan¡¯s remarkable achievements
in hybrid rice research have previously
won him numerous awards and honors, including
China¡¯s State Supreme Science and Technology
Award, the 2001 Magsaysay Award, the UN
FAO Medal of Honor for Food Security, and
the 2004 Wolf Prize in Agriculture.
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