HAIKOU, May 12. /TASS/. Sanya's State Rice Plantation Park used a highly efficient rice variety and was able to increase yields by about 1.5 tonnes last season, to 15 tonnes per hectare, reported the Hainan Daily.
According to the newspaper, the initial target was 13.5 tonnes per hectare. "The yield of hybrid rice for two seasons this year should be 22.5 tonnes per hectare — this would be a record for our region," said Cao Bing, deputy director of Hainan Agricultural Research Institute.
According to him, the Hainan administration is striving to fulfill the task set by the "father of Chinese hybrid rice" Yuan Longping. Initially, a team of Chinese scientists, consisting of the country's leading experts in the field of crop production, planned to receive 13.5 tonnes of rice per hectare in spring (April-May) and nine tonnes in autumn (October).
"In order to achieve this goal, we experimentally planted a special variety Chaoyou-1000 and applied advanced technologies," said Xie Huan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. According to his colleagues, this type of rice has taken root well in Sanya and "shows a constant increase in yields."
Yuan Longping, 90, has been researching the development of new high-performance rice varieties since the middle of the last century. The scientist's research has brought excellent results - the hybrid species created by him provide food for millions of people across the world.
The Rice Plantation Park was established in 2016. it is a 512 hectare tourist area, located on the outskirts of Sanya, about 28 km northeast of the city's urban areas. Investment in the project amounted to 2.64 billion yuan (more than $ 410 million at the current exchange rate). In addition to rice paddies, the area is home to extensive flower meadows, a tropical plant breeding base, a dinosaur science and education area, hot springs, a museum and an art gallery. The Yuan Longping experimental site is considered one of the key facilities of the complex.