Farewell, Yuan Longping, ‘father of hybrid rice’

People line up to pay homage to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center in China’s Changsha City, a major workplace of the top scientist, May 23, 2021. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

The globally renowned Chinese agronomist passed away at 13:07 BJT on Saturday at the age of 91.

The top Chinese scientist, who had developed the first hybrid rice strain that pulled countless people out of hunger, died of illness in a hospital in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province.

Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, the academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering had helped China achieve a great wonder -- feeding nearly one-fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's total land.

Yuan succeeded in cultivating the world's first high-yielding hybrid rice strain in 1973, which could reach a yield of over 500 kg per mu (about 0.067 hectares), increasing 200 kg per mu from the previous yield of 300 kg per mu.

For the next four decades, he continued to research and upgrade hybrid rice, which has reached its third generation. In 2020, hybrid rice developed by Yuan's team achieved 1,500 kilograms per mu (about 22.5 tons per hectare) in two growing seasons,?setting a new world record.

In China, where rice is the staple for the majority of the 1.4 billion population, the accumulated planting area of hybrid rice has exceeded 16 million hectares, or 57 percent of the total planting area of rice, helping feed an extra 80 million people a year.

It has also been grown extensively in over 40 countries, including the U.S., Brazil, India, Vietnam, the Philippines and Madagascar. The total planting area of the hybrid rice has reached 8 million hectares overseas, according to Xinhua News Agency.

On September 29, 2019, a day before the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yuan was awarded the "Medal of the Republic," the highest honor in the country, for his outstanding contribution to China's food security, agricultural scientific development and world food supply.

People bowed to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center in China’s Changsha City, a major workplace of the top scientist, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

A delivery man presents a bunch of flowers booked by customers to pay tribute to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center in China’s Changsha City, a major workplace of the top scientist, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

People are in a long queue at the front of the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

People are in a long queue at the front of the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

People are in a long queue at the front of the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

A girl carries a luggage in a line within the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 23, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

Citizens present flowers to pay homage to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," at the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 22, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

Citizens present flowers to pay homage to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," at the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 22, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

A middle school student arrives at the Mingyangshan funeral parlor in Changsha to present flowers to pay homage to deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice," May 22, 2021. (China News Service/Yang Huafeng)

Students present flowers in front of a statue of Yuan Longping in Southwest University in southwest China's Chongqing, May 22, 2021.Yuan graduated from the Southwest Agricultural College (now the Southwest University) in 1953. (China News Service/He Penglei)

Students present flowers in front of a statue of Yuan Longping in Southwest University in southwest China's Chongqing, May 22, 2021.Yuan graduated from the Southwest Agricultural College (now the Southwest University) in 1953. (China News Service/He Penglei)

A student bowed to a statue of Yuan Longping in Southwest University in southwest China's Chongqing, May 22, 2021.Yuan graduated from the Southwest Agricultural College (now the Southwest University) in 1953. (China News Service/He Penglei)

Flowers presented by teachers and students are placed surrounding a statue of Yuan Longping in Southwest University in southwest China's Chongqing, May 23, 2021.Yuan graduated from the Southwest Agricultural College (now the Southwest University) in 1953. (China News Service/Chen Chao)

Flowers with notes are seen around a statue of Yuan Longping at Longping Square, located in De’an County, Jiujiang, east China’s Jiangxi province, May 23, 2021. De’an County is the birthplace of deceased Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping. (China News Service/Liu Zhankun)