SANYA, September 28. /TASS/. Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences presented a plan for the development of seed production on the territory of the selection "Silicon Valley", located in Sanya's Yazhouwan innovation zone (Hainan province, South China), reported Xinhua.
Sanya has begun the creation of the so-called breeding Silicon Valley in accordance with the government program approved by the Chinese State Council in 2015. A large land plot has been allocated for this project, with an area exceeding 17,800 hectares. Two-thirds of this territory is occupied by fields and vegetable gardens intended for breeding high-quality varieties of various agricultural products.
According to Xinhua, on September 26, representatives of the academy held a press conference at the breeding base in Sanya. According to a report, the development of seed production at Silicon Valley will be organized in three key areas: conducting independent innovative research in the seed industry, helping to increase the innovative potential of enterprises in the field of seed growing, and creating a technological platform in the field of seed production.
In order to achieve the goals, six key tasks were set: strengthening fundamental research, developing key technologies, enhancing germplasm protection, improving key plant varieties, increasing yields, and developing breeding. For their implementation, five mechanisms have been chosen: focus on the implementation of tasks, teamwork, coordination of actions, new investment, as well as continuous performance evaluation.
According to a representative of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Zhang Hecheng, as quoted by the agency, currently the work of the academy is based on 95 research groups from 11 institutes dealing with seed production, as well as four institutes studying animal husbandry and poultry farming. He also noted that the implementation of the plan for the development of seed production on the basis of the selection "Silicon Valley" on Hainan is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the country's seed industry.
"The work will focus on addressing key scientific and technical issues, increasing the self-sufficiency of the seed industry, developing the seed industry in China and increasing its competitiveness, as well as developing agriculture in the country," he said.
The main plant breeding base in China
Hainan plays a key role in China's seed production program. Breeding projects carried out in the province annually draw the attention of several hundred research organizations, leading universities and companies. They are attended by thousands of specialists from different regions of China, as well as from other countries. The development in Sanya is closely related to the fate of the leading Chinese breeder, the "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping (1930-2021), who regularly visited the place in winter for more than 50 years.
According to the plans of the Chinese government, a top-notch research and production complex should be created on the island in the coming years, capable of stimulating the intensive development of agriculture country-wide. It is assumed that thanks to the facilities located on the territory of Yazhouwan innovation zone, the authorities will be able to significantly enhance China's food security.