Yuan Longping

Yuan LongpingBorn 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-a 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 Yuans 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 Chinas 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 Yuans 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 Yuans distinguished lifes 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 worlds poor. Professor Yuans remarkable achievements in hybrid rice research have previously won him numerous awa