OPINION> Commentary
How the good earth yields more
By Chong Zi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-26 07:33

Good news from Yuan Longping, whose brilliant innovations in hybridization make it possible for the country to grow more rice on less paddy field.

On Thursday Yuan and his colleagues gathered in a village in Hunan province, where he is entitled to a parcel of land for experiment. They expected 900 kilograms from one mu (0.07 hectare) of land there next month. Hunan is one of the country's biggest rice growers. If the forecast of Yuan, director-general of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, and his colleagues comes true, China will produce more rice.

In late 2006 Yuan initiated a project to produce through hybridization the amount of rice from 3 mu that would earlier take 4 mu. Given that the arable land decreases, his experiment is one stone that can kill two birds - farmers will garner more proceeds, and the government will set its mind at ease with the food security. Eighteen of the 20 counties that have taken to Yuan's experiment garnered 33 percent more rice last year. Hunan province has decided to give 20 more counties to Yuan's hands. And some rice-growing counties in Anhui, Sichuan and Henan provinces are applying to join the experiment.

A national team of researchers under Yuan developed in 1974 the "three-line hybridization system," capable of producing high-yield hybrid seeds on a commercial scale. China's rice production rose by 47.5 percent by the 1990s, even as some parts of erstwhile paddy land were shifted to cash crops. Today, half of China's rice land is planted with Yuan's hybrids.

These days Yuan is perfecting what he calls super-hybrid rice, to yield 25-30 percent more than current hybrids. "If this materializes," he says, "we can feed 100 million more people."

Yuan's job is phenomenal as it can help ease the world's food shortages. He has opened his research center to the world, training scientists from 25 countries.

* * *

We are a nation on bikes though more people are shifting to cars. In June alone, the country manufactured 6.56 million bicycles. The large population of bikers, however, should not necessarily secure us the gold medals from the Olympic cycling events including road racing, track racing, Olympic BMX and mountain biking. Well, we don't bike for medals. Bicycles, ingrained in our everyday life, are an important means of transportation. Bike riding is not one way of physical exercise. Sports are the scenes in parks and on the streets in the early morning and at dusk: people do taijiquan, dance, jog or sing at top of their lungs. These are sports for ordinary people.

* * *

How much is a leg worth? It depends. Liu Xiang, the country's talismanic hurdler, and his coach have refused to ask for compensations from a Chinese insurance company, which offered Liu's legs a 100-million yuan policy in October 2007. A self-promotion move for the company, of course. It was common that sports elites bought accident insurance for some part of their body. Former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher bought his arms a policy and the iconic footballer David Beckham has his right leg insured. China's TV commentators rarely spoke of Liu Xiang when Liu's rival Dayron Robles made it look easy in the high hurdles in the final. Liu hobbled out of the Olympics and left some of us feeling as if there had been a bereavement in the family. Liu, who is out of sight ever since, vowed last week to reclaim his 110m hurdles title from new champion Robles at the 2012 London Games. Come on, Liu Xiang.

(China Daily 08/26/2008 page8)