Some critical considerations on rice high-yielding breeding in China

Abstract

Views and comments concerning rice high-yielding breeding in China had been touched upon: (1) historical development of rice breeding in China and its prominent contributions recounted; current challenges evolved from rapid population increase, erosion of key natural resources and socioeconomic changes envisaged; (2) concept of extra or super high-yielding rice breeding and related ideas embraced nowadays in the main rice-producing countries assessed; the conception of so-called superrice in China could have been misled and misunderstood, and no substantial genetical differences could be affirmed yet between superrice and modern high-yielding rice; (3) two strategical approaches of rice production and breeding in China would have been persistent in the construction of most favorable-to-growth rice fields to plant rice varieties with high-yielding potentiality as well as renovation and rejuvenation of less favorable rice fields to plant most adaptableto-ecoenvironment varieties with promising productivity; in addition, breeding for rice varieties compatible with the specific rice regions ridden by adverse ecoenvironments; (4) overview of the relationship between the development of genetical researches and the perspective of rice breeding; integration of the classical genetical principles and breeding methods and techniques wherefrom with molecular biotechniques underscored. Finally, appeal to the breeders to adhere to due attentions to the development of genetics and promote pragmatism and traditional ethic solemnly so as to live up to implementing the national rice breeding mandates.