YNU professor selected as Yunnan's most beautiful science and technology professional

Professor Hu Fengyi from Yunnan University. [Photo/Yunnan University news network]

The 'Yunnan's Most Beautiful Science and Technology Professionals' award ceremony was held in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, on July 18. Ten scientific and technological workers from the province were selected for their scientific and technological contributions, including Professor Hu Fengyi from Yunnan University.

The award's selection campaign was jointly organized by the provincial publicity department of the Party committee, provincial science and technology department, Yunnan Association for Science and Technology, and Kunming Branch Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Hu has devoted himself to fundamental and applied research in plant breeding. His breakthrough research on perennial rice was recognized as one of the top ten scientific achievements by Science magazine in 2022.

He made breakthroughs in transforming rice cultivation from annual to perennial. His work revealed the genetic regulations of underground stems in wild long-stamen rice and pioneered the technique of propagating perennial rice through asexual reproduction. This led to the creation of the world's first approved perennial rice variety, "Perennial Rice 23," which uses simplified production techniques centered around "no-till" and "overwintering".

Implementing this technique could save up to 320 yuan ($4.77) per mu (0.07 hectares) per season in rice planting costs, reducing production expenses by approximately 50 percent and addressing labor shortages in rural areas.

Additionally, each mu annually sequesters 20 kilograms of carbon dioxide and increases soil organic matter by 54 kilograms, providing a sustainable agricultural solution in line with the "Dual Carbon" strategy in Yunnan.