Success of perennial rice spreads to Sanya city

"The success of perennial rice not only provides reference for the utilization of wild germplasm resources, but also offers a new approach for food production," said Hu Fengyi, a researcher at Yunnan University, when introducing the applications of perennial cereal crops at the Third Sanya International Seed Industry Scientists Conference, which was held on Jan 5.

While annual cereal crops contribute significantly to humanity, yearly cultivation poses several challenges, such as large seed as in planting, increased investment in agricultural machinery, intensified soil erosion, and nutrient loss in the soil. These challenges are significant as they can cause social, economic, and ecological issues.

After 20 years of exploration, Hu's team has successfully bred perennial rice cultivation varieties by crossing perennial wild species with cultivated rice varieties. This perennial rice breakthrough has now achieved commercial production.

It was reported that the team's cultivated perennial rice only needs to be planted once in suitable areas, after which they will provide continuous yields twice a year for three to four years. This crop has an average production of 6.8 metric tons per hectare per season, comparable to annual rice crops that offer 6.7 tons per hectare.

"Currently, many rural laborers migrated to cities. Perennial rice undoubtedly reduces the work pressure on the remaining farmers," said Hu. He emphasized that this innovative research will contribute to maintaining food security and ecological integrity. It is also a significant reference point for the study of other perennial cereal crops.