by Wang Xiaotong

WUHAN, Nov. 24 (China Economic Net) –China's Honglian Hybrid Rice were harvested in 8 demonstrative plots in Pakistan. In Lahore, the yield of Honglian hybrid rice reached 12.9 tons per hectare, achieving a better result than main local rice varieties.

Honglian hybrid rice achieves bumper harvest in Lahore. [Photo provided by Zhu Renshan]

“Experimental data shows that the comprehensive characters of Honglian hybrid rice are generally superior to main local varieties LP18 and LP403, among which Honglian WR1901 has a high seed setting rate of 95% and a yield of 12.9 tons/ha, higher than that of the control group by 12.17%, which has aroused great interest from local farmers and dealers,” said Zhu Renshan, professor-level senior engineer of Wuhan University in charge of the international cooperation on Honglian hybrid rice.

As a well-known hybrid rice type developed by Wuhan University for over 40 years, so far the global acreage of Honglian hybrid rice has surpassed about 26.67 million hectares.

This September, the project of Wuhan University & University of the Punjab Honglian Type Hybrid Rice Joint Research Center officially kicked off.

In the year of 2020, eight demonstrative plots have been arranged across Pakistan including Lahore, Gujranwala, Vehari, Pakpattan in Punjab, Shikar Pur and Larkana in Sindh, basically covering main rice planting regions in Pakistan. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, from sowing to harvest, Zhu and the research team provided technical guidance online throughout.

Honglian hybrid rice is being harvested in Pakpattan. [Photo provided by Zhu Renshan]

“Based on the promising results, we two universities jointly submitted three excellent varieties to participate in Pakistan’s regional trials for seed certification and registration, and now the first-year field trial has been basically completed,” Zhu disclosed.

Wang Qinglin (3rd L), Deputy Director General, Department of International Affairs, China Association for Science and Technology, and Ye Xianlin (2nd R), Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice Chairman, Hubei Association for Science & Technology, jointly presented the plaque to Li Xiaoshu (3rd R), Director, Office of International Affairs, Wuhan University. [Photo provided by Zhu Renshan]

It may be mentioned here that on Nov. 19 China Association for Science and Technology granted a plaque for the establishment of the Sino-Pak joint research center on Honglian hybrid rice.