Yuan Longping’s Team Succeeds in Experiment of Sea Rice Planting in Dubai

　　Qingdao Sea Rice Research and Development Center, a sea rice team headed by the father of hybrid rice Yuan Longping, succeeded in predicting the yield of sea rice on September 28, 2017. This great technical breakthrough has aroused great attention across the world. Sheik of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum invited the team to conduct experimental planting of sea rice in the desert area of Dubai in November, 2017.

　　The team initiated project construction in Dubai on January 8, 2018. Over 80 rice varieties including sea rice experimentally planted there have become mature in batches from May to July, with their yields exceeding the global average yield of 4.539 tons per hectare (based on the statistical data of Food and Agriculture Organization released in 2014). It marks that the team has achieved a great success at the stage of experimentally planting sea rice in the desert area of Dubai. According to the Green Dubai Cooperation Framework Agreement, the sea rice team will carry out four-stage experiment and industrialized promotion programs in Dubai.

　　In addition, the sheik of Dubai will cooperate with Qingdao Sea Rice Research and Development Center to establish Yuan Longping Hybrid Sea Rice Research and Promotion Center in Middle East and North Africa. This center will be responsible for testing sea rice varieties, optimizing technological conditions, providing technical training and promoting the industrialization in the Middle East and North Africa.