Historical Figure
Yuan Longping
b. 1930
Chinese agronomist (1930–2021)
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Biography
Yuan Longping was a Chinese agronomist and inventor. He was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s, part of the Green Revolution in agriculture. For his contributions, Yuan is known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice". Yuan was bestowed the Medal of the Republic, the highest honorary medal of the People's Republic of China, in September 2019.
Timeline
The story of Yuan Longping, told in moments.
Discovered a naturally occurring male-sterile rice plant in a paddy field. It was the breakthrough he needed. Conventional wisdom said rice couldn't be hybridized. He spent the next decade proving otherwise.
Developed the first successful hybrid rice variety. Yields were 20% higher than conventional strains. China adopted hybrid rice nationwide within a decade. By 2000, half of China's rice paddies grew his varieties.
Won the World Food Prize and the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in the same year. His hybrid rice technology had spread to dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. China was feeding 20% of the world's population on 9% of its arable land.
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