Another record for China’s seawater rice with doubled yield in 3 years
- Researchers are planning to have nearly 7 million hectares planted with the salt-tolerant rice in the next 8-10 years, enough to feed 80 million
- The hybrid species can be grown in normally barren areas and is a boost to the country’s food security ambitions
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Sea rice research moves ahead as China works to boost food security
It nearly doubled to 8.8 tonnes per hectare last year and further increased to more than 10 tonnes per hectare in 2022, the state-run Science and Technology Daily reported on Wednesday.
The results broke previous years’ records and set a new mark for salt-tolerant rice that grows in an environment with a salt concentration of four grams per 1 kg, the report said.
The breakthrough is good news for China, which is aiming to safeguard its food security in the midst of rising geopolitical tensions and disrupted global food supply chains.
Wan Jili, a manager at the research centre in Qingdao, said hybrid rice yields were generally higher than the conventional crop, with one hybrid species reaching 10 tonnes per hectare in 2017, under a 6 per cent saline irrigation.
“The two conventional rice species tested today are very representative … and they have huge potential for growth,” Wan told the newspaper.