Development and dissemination of hybrid rice technology, lessons from China

The hybrid rice program in China was initiated in 1964. The first rice hybrid with a marked yield potential was developed in 1974 and released to farmers in 1976. It has been shown that hybrid rice cultivars can outyield modern, semidwarf inbred varieties by more than 20%. In recent years, hybrid rice has covered 50% (or 15 million ha) of the total rice area in China. The national average yield of hybrid rice is 7 t ha-1, about 1.4 t higher than that of inbred varieties (5.6 t ha-1). A yearly increase in rice production in China from growing hybrid rice can feed 60 million people each year. Because of increased yields, hybrid rice farmers can have higher income than farmers who cultivate inbred varieties. Similarly, hybrid rice seed producers can have higher income than seed producers of inbred varieties because of higher returns from hybrid seed. Since hybrid rice involves labor-intensive production, processing, and marketing of hybrid seed every crop season, it results in more employment in the rural areas. Since 1996, good results have been achieved in developing super hybrid rice varieties-they have a further yield advantage of around 20% and superior grain quality as well. Besides the advanced technology being developed by scientists, the success in the development and dissemination of hybrid rice in China is greatly attributed to strong support of the government, strong research team and integrated efforts, well-organized operating system, development of improved hybrid seed production technology and system, seed laws, effective seed quality control, and a well-established extension system. The Chinese experience in the development and dissemination of hybrid rice technology can also be duplicated in other developing countries. The hybrid rice experts in Chinas National Hybrid Rice R and D Center are willing to help other countries to further speed up the development and promotion of hybrid rice in collaboration with FAO, ADB, and IRRI and thereby contribute toward ensuring food security worldwide in the 21st century.