Yuan Longping's son takes over the baton and continues the "Yuan dream plan"

Yuan Longping, winner of the "Medal of the Republic", academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, director of the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, and former vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference, died of multiple organ failure in Changsha at 13:07 on May 22, 2021. He was 91 years old.

Yuan Longping is a pioneer in the research and development of hybrid rice in China. He is also the first scientist in the world who successfully utilized the Heterosis of rice. He is known as the "father of hybrid rice".

Nearly a month after the death of Academician Yuan Longping, yuan dingyang, Yuan Longping's son and deputy director of the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, has inherited the mantle and gone north to Inner Mongolia to continue the "Yuan dream plan".

Qi Shaowu (first from left), director of National Research Center for hybrid rice engineering technology, and Yuan dingyang (first from right), deputy director of National Research Center for hybrid rice engineering technology, attended the press conference of the second phase of "Yuan Meng plan", cut the rice cake and announced the launch of the second phase of "Yuan Meng plan". The pictures are from WeChat official account @ Inner Mongolia daily.

Reporters noted that the official account of WeChat daily of Inner Mongolia daily released the news in June 20th: "son is father!" Yuan dingyang, the son of Yuan Longping, released the second phase of "Yuan dream plan": protecting China's rice bowl and relay father's dream. On June 18, yuan dingyang, deputy director of the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, and 10 young people engaged in digital agriculture came to Yuan Longping academician workstation of Xing'an League to launch the second phase of "Yuan Meng plan": it is planned to plant 200000 mu of salt tolerant rice on the saline alkali land of Xing'an League during the "14th five year plan", so as to help local rice growers double their income.

The source mentioned that "Yuan dream project" was initiated by Yuan Longping, and Yuan dingyang passed on his father's dream. On January 13, 2020, Yuan Longping released the "Yuan Meng plan" in Sanya to grow rice on saline alkali land. This technology can not only improve the ecological environment of saline alkali land and desert areas, but also solve the problem of food ration for the population in desert areas, and double the income of farmers. In 2019, Academician Yuan Longping's work station planted rice in the saline alkali land rice planting base of Keyouzhong banner, Xing'an League, with an average yield of 508.8 kg per mu, exceeding the target of 300 kg per mu in saline alkali land put forward by Yuan Longping.

According to an article published in 2012, in 1970, Yuan Longping, 40, had his third child, named yuan dingyang. More than 20 years later, Yuan Longping's eldest son studied finance, his second son studied management, and only his youngest son studied agriculture.

In 1990, yuan dingyang was admitted to Guangxi Agricultural University as an agricultural major. After graduation in 1994, he entered the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center (now the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center). In 1996, yuan dingyang was admitted to Hunan Agricultural University for a master's degree in genetics and breeding. In 1999, he entered the Department of biology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study molecular biology and received his doctorate.

Recalling his study experience, yuan dingyang said, "my father didn't like to preach and never appointed me to learn anything. It's all natural.". Compared with the major of Finance and management chosen by the elder brother and the second brother, yuan dingyang thinks that agricultural science and technology is more practical and has a sense of achievement. "The yield of super rice from 800 kg to 926.6 kg per mu is the actual thing.".

Yuan Longping apologetically told the media about his three sons: "when they were young, I took little care of them." Yuan Longping also specifically mentioned yuan dingyang: "my third brother is OK. If he is willing to study, I will create conditions for him."

Since then, yuan dingyang has been engaged in the research of hybrid rice, mainly engaged in rice molecular breeding, theory and application of rice heterosis, and research and development of the third generation hybrid rice. He has presided over and participated in more than 10 national key R & D programs, National 863 program, and major provincial and ministerial projects. He has won one national science and Technology Progress Award (innovation team), one second and third prize of Hunan Science and technology progress award, and one second prize of Hunan Natural Science Award. He has published more than 60 scientific papers and applied for more than 20 patents (including more than 10 authorized patents).

The reporter noted that the personnel department of Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences issued a "public announcement before taking office" in February this year. It was mentioned that "yuan dingyang, deputy director and researcher of the State Key Laboratory of hybrid rice of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, intends to be the deputy director of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center." According to this Inner Mongolia media report, yuan dingyang has become the deputy director of the research center.

According to the official website of the research center, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center is located in Mapoling, Changsha City, Hunan Province. Its founder is Academician Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice“ The center was established in 1984 and the National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center was established in 1995. The two centers carry out the unified operation system of "two brands, one set of people"“ The center consists of scientific research department, industrial development department, experimental base management department, international cooperation department, office and other institutions.