Northeast China's Shenyang Agricultural University has claimed a major breakthrough in the crossbreeding research of "super rice", which helps to solve the contradiction between high yield and poor quality.

The research outcome had won the state's second-grade award for scientific and technological progress, said Prof. Chen Wenfu, a noted rice specialist with the Shenyang Agricultural University who is in charge of the project.

Prof. Chen said the first generation of super rice strain "Shennong 265" characterized by a larger ear of grain, high ear-bearing rate, strong roots and stalks, with a per-hectare yield of 12 tons.

And the second super rice variety, "Shennong 606", on the basis of keeping the high yield of the first generation, had effectively enhanced rice quality and disease resistance, which helped to cope with the contradiction between high yield and poor quality.

The prestigious rice specialist said the research of super high-yield rice crossbreeding was launched back in the 1980s, which was divided into the southern super crossbred rice and the northern conventional super rice.

Presently, northern China had rice grown areas totaling 3.3 million hectares, with a per hectare yield of less than nine tons on average, the professor said.

The breakthrough in the northern conventional super rice crossbreeding would possibly boost rice production in northern China, Prof. Chen said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2003)