Abstract
The development of hybrid rice varieties, which have been reported to out-yield inbred rice varieties by about 10%, is necessary in ensuring China’s food security. However, the agricultural area where hybrid rice is grown has decreased by 25% (about 5 million ha) in China since 1995. Assuming such better yield performance of hybrids compared to inbreds, the decrease in hybrid rice production area in China is cause for concern. This review discusses the causes of such decline and analyse its potential effects on rice self-sufficiency. The analysis suggests that: (1) the decreasing hybrid rice production area is caused not only by technological factors but also by socio-economic factors; and (2) the decreased area under hybrid rice production does not lead to additional pressure on increasing crop yields from either hybrid or inbred rice production. These results should draw the attention of rice breeders, rice scientists, and rice producers to close the gap between the actual yield currently harvested and the potential yield of both rice hybrids and inbred rice. This will have to be achieved through scientific, technological, and socio-economic research and applications.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen, Q., & Yang, W. (2010). Economic benefits and influencing factors of rice production in China: Results from an investigation of 565 farmers in Hunan and Zhejiang provinces. Chinese Rural Economy, 6, 16–24.
Chen, X., Cui, Z., Fan, L., Vitousek, P., Zhao, M., Ma, W., Wang, Z., Zhang, W., Yan, X., Yang, J., Deng, X., Gao, Q., Zhang, Q., Guo, S., Ren, J., Li, S., Ye, Y., Wang, Z., Huang, J., Tang, Q., Sun, Y., Peng, X., Zhang, J., He, M., Zhu, Y., Xue, J., Wang, G., Wu, L., An, N., Wu, L., Ma, L., Zhang, W., & Zhang, F. (2014). Producing more grain with lower environmental costs. Nature, 514, 486–489. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13609.
Cheng, F., Chen, Q., Gu, M., & Peng, D. (2016). Current status of agricultural extension in China. HortTechnology, 26, 846–851. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH03220-16.
Cheng, J., & Zhu, Z. (2017). Development of rice pest management in the past 60 years in China: Problems and strategies. Journal of Plant Protection, 44, 885–895. https://doi.org/10.13802/j.cnki.zwbhxb.2017.2017901.
Cheng, S., Cao, L., Yang, S., & Zhai, H. (2004). Forty years’ development of hybrid rice: China’s experience. Rice Science, 11, 225–230.
Cui, L., Wu, K., & Tseng, M. (2017). Exploring a novel agricultural subsidy model with sustainable development: A Chinese agribusiness in Liaoning Province. Sustainability, 9, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010019.
Hsiaoping, C. (2005). Rice consumption in China: Can China change rice consumption from quantity to quality? In K. Toriyama, K. L. Heong, & B. Hardy (Eds.), Rice is life: Scientific perspectives for the 21st century (pp. 497–499). International Rice Research Institute.
Hu, Z., Tian, Y., & Xu, Q. (2016). Review of extension and analysis on current status of hybrid rice in China. Hybrid Rice, 31, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.16267/j.cnki.1005-3956.201602001.
Huang, M., & Zou, Y. (2018). Integrating mechanization and agronomy and breeding to ensure food security in China. Field Crops Research, 224, 22–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2018.05.001.
Huang, M., Jiang, P., Shan, S., Gao, W., Ma, G., Zou, Y., Uphoff, N., & Yuan, L. (2017). Higher yields of hybrid rice do not depend on nitrogen fertilization under moderate to high soil fertility conditions. Rice, 10, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-017-0182-1.
Huang, M., Zou, Y., Jiang, P., Xia, B., Ibrahim, M., & Ao, H. (2011). Relationship between grain yield and yield components in super hybrid rice. Agricultural Sciences in China, 10, 1537–1544. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60149-1.
Jiang, P., Xie, X., Huang, M., Zhou, X., Zhang, R., Chen, J., Wu, D., Xia, B., Xiong, H., Xu, F., & Zou, Y. (2016). Potential yield increase of hybrid rice at five locations in southern China. Rice, 9, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-016-0085-6.
Jiao, X., Zhang, H., Ma, W., Wang, C., Li, X., & Zhang, F. (2019). Science and technology backyard: A novel approach to empower smallholder farmers for sustainable intensification of agriculture in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18, 1657–1666. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62592-X.
Liu, F., Liu, A., He, C., Lei, J., Yang, P., Li, J., Liu, W., & Xia, S. (2017). Demonstration of key techniques in hybrid rice seed production with whole process mechanization. Hybrid Rice, 31, 34–36. https://doi.org/10.16267/j.cnki.1005-3956.201701010.
Ma, G., & Yuan, L. (2015). Hybrid rice achievements, development and prospect in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14, 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(14)60922-9.
Peng, S. (2016). Dilemma and way-out of hybrid rice during the transition period in China. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 42, 313–319. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1006.2016.00313.
Peng, S., Zou, Y., & Tang, Q. (2009). Current status and challenges of rice production in China. Plant Production Science, 12, 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1626/pps.12.3.
Raza, L., Razzaq, A., Mehmood, S. S., Zou, X., Zhang, X., Lv, Y., & Xu, J. (2019). Impact of climate change on crops adaptation and strategies to tackle its outcome: A review. Plants, 8, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8020034.
Savary, S., Horgan, F., Willocquet, L., & Heong, K. L. (2012). A review of principles for sustainable pest management in rice. Crop Protection, 32, 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2011.10.012.
Sogawa, K., Liu, G., & Shen, J. (2003). A review on the hyper-susceptibility of Chinese hybrid rice to insect pests. Chinese Journal of Rice Science, 17, 23–30. https://doi.org/10.16819/j.1001-7216.2003.s1.005.
Teng, P. S. (1994). Integrated pest management in rice. Experimental Agriculture, 30, 115–137. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447970002408X.
Virmani, S. S. (1996). Hybrid rice. Advances in Agronomy, 57, 378–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60928-1.
Wang, Y., & Fang, L. (2008). Establish the long-effective mechanism of food security in China. Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment, 6, 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/10042857.2008.10684851.
Wu, C., & Chen, X. (2004). Impact of pesticides on biodiversity in agricultural areas. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 15, 341–344. https://doi.org/10.13287/j.1001-9332.2004.0077.
Yuan, S., Nie, L., Wang, F., Huang, J., & Peng, S. (2017). Agronomic performance of inbred and hybrid rice cultivars under simplified and reduced-input practices. Field Crops Research, 210, 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2017.05.024.
Zhang, J. (2011). China’s success in increasing per capita food production. Journal of Experimental Botany, 62, 3707–3711. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/err132.
Zhang, X., Guo, Q., Shen, X., Yu, S., & Qiu, G. (2015). Water quality, agriculture and food safety in China: Current situation, trends, interdependencies, and management. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14, 2365–2379. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61128-5.
Zhang, Y., Tang, Q., Zou, Y., Li, D., Qin, J., Yang, S., Chen, L., Xia, B., & Peng, S. (2009). Yield potential and radiation use efficiency of “super” hybrid rice grown under subtropical conditions. Field Crops Research, 114, 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2009.07.008.
Zhu, D. (2000). Bridging the rice yield gap in China. In M. K. Papademetriou, F. J. Dent, & E. M. Herath (Eds.), Bridging the rice yield gap in Asia-Pacific region (pp. 69–83). FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFD0301503).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declared no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huang, M. The decreasing area of hybrid rice production in China: causes and potential effects on Chinese rice self-sufficiency. Food Sec. 14, 267–272 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-021-01199-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-021-01199-z