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A hybrid rice developer in China has called into question an Indian farmer's contention that he had harvested 22.4 tonnes of rice on one hectare of land, breaking a world record of 19.4 tonnes set by the Chinese scientist, reported the state-run China News Service on Thursday.
Sumant Kumar, a young farmer in the Nalanda district of India’s poor state Bihar, said last year that he achieved the record yields by using a method called System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Farmers using the herbicide-free method have reported higher yields with fewer seeds and less water and chemicals, according to a report by The Guardian.
World renowned agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, the previous record holder, bluntly called Kumar a “120 per cent fake”.
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“I introduced the intensification method to China myself,” Yuan said. “It could increase yields by 10 to 15 per cent in low-yield fields, but it’s not possible for fields that are already producing relativaly high yields .”
“He [Kumar] said they had lots of rain and little sunshine last year, but high yields would be impossible without adequate sunshine,” a doubtful Yuan continued.
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Yuan said judging by photos, the harvested plants appeared short and couldn’t possibly produce high yields.
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