The 2004 World Food Prize Laureates — Yuan Longping.docVIP

The 2004 World Food Prize Laureates Yuan Longping 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 ? 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 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 respectiv