Yuan Longping, China’s “father of hybrid rice,” is planning experiments on expanding the production of sea-rice to 300 kilograms per mu at the newly-founded Sea-Rice Research and Development Center in Qingdao, China News reported. The center was established and opened on May 7.

Sea-rice, sometimes found in saline-alkaline soil, is resistant to pests, diseases, salt, and alkali; and does not need fertilizer. The Qingdao research center will use gene sequencing to cultivate new strains of sea-rice that will yield more rice and grow with saline water.

Mr. Yuan expects the yield of such sea-rice to reach at least 300 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares) by 2020. China would gain another 30 billion kilograms of grains if the country gains 100 million mu of fertile land on mud flats. This would meet the need of about 80 million people on a yearly basis.

According to the center, the sea-rice to be developed has several advantages, including high yield, good quality, and tolerance to saline-alkaline conditions. The first generation of sea-rice is projected to be available this November.

The rice research and development center was established in 2016 by Yuan Longping, the Qingdao Municipal Government, and the China National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center. The field trial is underway and the labs will be put into use in June or July this year.