Chinese scientists develop clonal hybrid rice to advance global food security

Chinese researchers have developed a new type of clonal hybrid rice capable of preserving hybrid vigour through seeds across successive generations. The innovation, achieved by a team led by Wang Kejian, Professor at the China National Rice Research Institute, demonstrated nearly 100 per cent stable cloning efficiency while maintaining normal fertility. As reported by Global Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

Hybrid rice is valued for its higher yields and greater resilience compared to conventional varieties. However, traditional hybrid rice seeds cannot be replanted without losing these advantages, requiring new seed production every growing season. The newly developed technology uses synthetic apomixis to generate clonal seeds, allowing hybrid traits to be inherited without repeated hybridisation.

According to Wang Kejian, the approach could make hybrid rice more widely accessible by significantly reducing the need for annual seed production. Hybrid rice can increase yields by 10 to 30 per cent, yet it currently accounts for around 50 per cent of rice cultivation in China and approximately 5 per cent worldwide.

The research team identified a rice gene known as HUAXU, which induces parthenogenesis in hybrid rice egg cells and enables the production of haploid offspring. Combined with a clonal gamete strategy, the scientists achieved cloning efficiency of more than 99 per cent across different rice varieties, generations and field conditions while maintaining normal crop yields.

Wang noted that the technology addresses a long-standing challenge in crop breeding by enabling hybrid vigour to be preserved through seeds. He added that the innovation could also provide breeders with greater flexibility to enhance genetic diversity and strengthen crops' resilience to climate change, diseases and extreme weather, while contributing to global food security.

China has maintained grain production of more than 700 billion kilograms for two consecutive years. According to official statistics, the country's grain output exceeds the internationally recognised food security benchmark of 400 kilograms per capita, supporting stable agricultural development and global food supplies.