Farmers in China harvest 2-meter high rice plants

China, the world's largest producer of rice, has started harvesting two-meter tall rice plants.

Hyderabad: Spearheading rice production and developing varieties, China has started harvesting two-meter-tall giant rice plants cultivated in 15 mu (1 hectare) in Shiwan township of Dazu district, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on September 24.

The giant rice development is progressing and after gaining approval for seed production after one year, large scale production will begin. Rice shoots are growing sturdily in lush green fields, with a faint scent of fresh rice being wafted along by the autumn breeze. These sorghum-like rice shoots stand at an average height of two meters with sturdy and tall stalks, and more grains.

The new variety with the potential to yield 800 kilograms per mu is expected to widen the grin on farmers' faces. In addition, aquatic creatures such as fish can also be bred in the fields where the hybrid plants are grown.

The giant rice variety is a hybrid developed through the heterosis process. The scientific method makes the crossbred hybrid superior to its parents and it was developed by International Rice Research Institute.

China and IRRI collaboration

As China bask in the glory of being the world's largest producer of rice, collaboration with IRRI has pivotal role. China's average yield is around 6.5 tons per hectare, among the highest in Asia. So far, 49 super rice varieties have been developed and yields skyrocketed to 12 tons per hectare.

Rice cultivation in China dates back to 8000 BC as per an archaeological study. In an intriguing anecdote, the Director-General of IRRI, Nyle Brady in 1974 gifted China with seeds of IRRI-developed varieties during a one-month tour of the country. As the formal scientific collaboration began, the country's rice economy showed positive trends.

The rice varieties namely, Golden Shuttle 1 and Zhongyu 1, 4, and 6 are the first brainchild of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), IRRI and its partners' collaboration. As the IRRI-China partnership strengthened through the years, China turned out to be the first country to successfully produce hybrid rice for temperate-climate agriculture and the largest adopter of hybrid rice.