Yang Zhenyu

Yuan Longping and I are friends of gentlemen, who are "harmonious but different".

Editor: Tian Liang

Hybrid rice is known as "Southern Yuan and Northern Yang", where "Southern Yuan" means Yuan Longping and "Northern Yang" means Yang Zhenyu.

Now, "South Yuan and North Yang" are gone!

A few days ago, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences issued an obituary:

"Yang Zhenyu, a famous rice expert in China, the founder of hybrid japonica rice, a member of the advisory group of hybrid japonica rice experts of the Ministry of Agriculture, the former director of the Northern Hybrid Japonica Rice Engineering and Technology Center, a member of the Sixth Political Consultative Conference of Liaoning Province, the former vice chairman of Liaoning Association for Science and Technology, the former scientific adviser of Shenyang Municipal Government, the former director of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Rice of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the former director of the hybrid japonica rice breeding research laboratory, failed due to illness and treatment.

yang Zhenyu, the founder of japonica hybrid rice in the world

was born in Fengcheng, Jiangxi province in November 1927, and was admitted to Fudan university law school in Shanghai in 1949. However, after seeing that agricultural production was backward at that time and people could not be self-sufficient in food and clothing, he resolutely turned to agronomy.

At that time, the people of the whole country were enthusiastic about resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea. As a warm-blooded young man, he signed up to join the army of defending his country with his love for his motherland and the heart of serving his country.

After the war, he was re-admitted to Shenyang Agricultural University to continue his agricultural studies. After graduation in 1957, he has been engaged in hybrid rice breeding in the Rice Research Institute of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"Born and raised in rural areas, I have an innate love for agriculture and a real affinity for farmers. From my heart, I feel that agriculture is solid. Eating, living and working with peasant brothers, knowing their needs and wishes at any time, and being able to do something for these poorest and kindest people, I feel an indescribable pleasure. " Yang Zhenyu said in an interview in 27.

Wang Yuanzheng, assistant researcher of Liaoning Rice Research Institute, said that the research on hybrid rice breeding can be called the second green revolution of rice in China. Seeing the gap between the development prospect of hybrid rice and that of northern rice, Yang Zhenyu took the initiative to propose to Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, that hybrid rice is a green revolution and cannot live without northern hybrid japonica rice.

From p>1971 to 1991, Yang Zhenyu traveled frequently between Shenyang and Sanya, and exchanged 2 years for 4 generations of japonica hybrid rice. He often carries rice seedlings in his arms and rice stubble in his hands to the breeding base during thousands of miles of journey.

Since the late 195s, agricultural research institutes have been conducting scientific research and breeding in Yaxian, Ledong and Lingshui counties, and by the mid-197s, these three places have gradually become the largest breeding base in South China.

Nanfan Scientific and Research Breeding Base

In October, 1973, Yuan Longping of Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences published the paper "Progress in Breeding" Three Lines "by Wild Abortion" at the National Rice Research Conference held in Suzhou, officially announcing the success of the "Three Lines" of China indica hybrid rice.

In p>1974, Yang Zhenyu of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences initiated the "indica-japonica bridge" technology, successfully bred the world's first "artificially restored" japonica restorer line C57, and planted hybrid japonica rice in a large area in northern China, making China the first country to apply hybrid japonica rice in the world. He also became the founder of japonica hybrid rice in the world.

There are two subspecies of cultivated rice in Asia: indica rice and japonica rice. Indica rice is heat-tolerant, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of South China, South Asia and Southeast Asia. After nearly ten thousand years of artificial domestication and selection, japonica rice has the characteristics of low temperature tolerance, and its planting area has gradually moved northward, mainly distributed in northern China and temperate regions of Northeast Asia.

the main problem in cultivating japonica hybrid rice lies in the utilization of heterosis between indica and japonica subspecies. Japan, the United States and other countries have failed to break through this difficult problem after half a century of research.

"In practice, I realized that the typical heterosis between indica and japonica subspecies is difficult to be directly utilized. If the intermediate materials of indica and japonica are used and the road of' bridging' is taken, the genome of indica and japonica subspecies will be properly matched and coordinated, and the backbone parents with partial indica and japonica will be cultivated, which is the only way to utilize the heterosis of indica and japonica. " Yang Zhenyu said.

according to this idea, he successfully transferred the indica rice restorer gene into japonica rice, which overcame the sterility among subspecies and revealed the mystery of the utilization of indica-japonica heterosis.

in p>1978, yang Zhenyu participated in the first national science conference as an advanced model and was cordially received by the party and state leaders. In 1981, "Japonica restorer C57 and its hybrid combination Liyou 57" won the first National Science and Technology Conference Award, the third prize of the first national invention and the first prize of scientific and technological progress of Liaoning provincial government.

Verifying Zhu Kezhen's Judgment

Yang Zhenyu not only made outstanding contributions to hybrid japonica rice, but also made achievements in hybrid colored rice.

in the late 199s, he successfully bred two-line CMS lines of indica hybrid rice, Guangzhan 63S and Guangzhan 63S-4. These research results have been popularized, and the main varieties planted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China have been cultivated, with a cumulative planting area of more than 15 million mu, which has made great contributions to grain production in China.

Later, Yang Zhenyu turned his breeding goal back to the research and development of hybrid japonica rice, with the aim of fulfilling the dream of hybrid japonica rice going north, focusing on the research and development of hybrid japonica rice in cold regions and the breeding of hybrid japonica rice with high yield and high quality.

Yang Zhenyu and his assistant are in the field

As early as 1964, Zhu Kezhen, a famous scientist in China, wrote in the article "On several characteristics of China's climate and its relationship with food crop production": "The rice yield in northern China should not be lower than that in the south, nor should it be lower than that in Japan." North China has a unique ecological advantage, and the yield potential of rice, especially hybrid japonica rice, is often higher than that of the south.

Heilongjiang and Jilin are two major rice producing areas. Hybrid japonica rice has not been used here, but conventional varieties have limited potential to increase production, and new excellent rice varieties are urgently needed to replace them.

Wuyou 135, a japonica three-line hybrid bred by Yang Zhenyu and others, has a yield of 751.9 kg/mu in the regional test, ranking first in the regional test of rice in northern China. In 213, the approved trial yield of Wuyou 17 increased by 15.8% compared with the control variety, and the yield won the championship, and the rice quality reached the second grade of the national "High Quality Rice" standard. This fully verified Zhu Kezhen's judgment.

high yield and good quality have always been the goal pursued by breeders. Yueyou 16, which participated in the national regional test of Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan Group in 214, is another high-quality and high-yield variety cultivated by Yang Zhenyu. At the high-quality rice tasting conference organized by Tianjin Agricultural University, 25 experts scored and voted by secret ballot, and won the crown with a high score of 83 points.

"I like both indica and japonica breeding and have achieved a lot. My hometown in Jiangxi likes to plant hybrid indica rice cultivated by me, and my northern farmers like to plant hybrid japonica rice cultivated by me, which makes me very pleased. " Yang Zhenyu said.

Yang Zhenyu instructs hybrid rice planting technology at the demonstration farm

Yuan Longping is a mentor

Yang Zhenyu and Yuan Longping are both fellow villagers in Jiangxi, with similar age, and they are also good friends.

yang Zhenyu and Yuan Longping won the 213 national special prize for scientific and technological progress due to their outstanding contribution to the research and application of two-line hybrid rice technology, which was recommended and nominated by Yuan Longping.

"Academician Yuan Longping is a person I admire very much. I respect him for his unique inspiration and original spirit." Yang Zhenyu said.

In the 197s, Yang Zhenyu went to Hunan to study hybrid rice. It was Yuan Longping who recommended him to the International Rice Research Institute to carry out cooperative research, and he became a partner of the Premier Fund Super Rice Project.

"He is my mentor and friend, and he is also a fellow countryman in Jiangxi. He has been in contact for more than 3 years, and he has been with * * *. Mr. Yuan loved the beauty of adults all his life and respected the elderly. On my mother's centenary birthday in 21, he also led his colleagues to send a birthday plaque. " Yang Zhenyu said.

In Yang Zhenyu's impression, Yuan Longping is approachable and joking. He always says that he is a man who has repeatedly lost and fought. In his view, this is to praise his persistent pursuit of hybrid rice.

Yang Zhenyu said that the two men are friends of gentlemen, and they are "harmonious but different".

"For example, Mr. Yuan always thinks that the heterosis of hybrid indica rice is greater than that of hybrid japonica rice, but I think that japonica rice is short and erect with new panicles, makes good use of light energy, and has a high yield level, so it is easy to realize the role of" a rising tide lifts a boat "to improve its competitive advantage."

Yuan Longping and Yang Zhenyu inspect breeding materials in Hainan

Yang Zhenyu is always full of confidence in hybrid japonica rice.

"With the improvement of people's living standards in China, the taste of' prefer japonica rice to indica rice' has changed, which has increased the consumption of japonica rice day by day and brought rare development opportunities for the development of hybrid japonica rice. The advantages of hybrid japonica rice will shine. " Yang Zhenyu said.

The facts are also verifying Yang Zhenyu's judgment.

In April p>218, according to experts from Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the rice planting area in Shanghai alone is about 1.4 million mu, all of which are planted with japonica rice, and the proportion of hybrid japonica rice is about 4%, that is, 56, mu.

At the age of 8 or 9, Yang Zhenyu still often goes to the fields to see hybrid rice, because he has been working hard for his dream: "I hope that all kinds of fine varieties will be available in the world and farmers will make their best efforts."

Some sources: Agricultural Science and Technology Newsletter, Beijing Agriculture, official website of Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing Youth Daily, Xinhuanet, etc.