Professor Zhu Yinguo, a revered academician, breeder, researcher, geneticist and rice biologist in China, passed away on August 9 at the age of 78.
[caption id="attachment_4511" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Professor Zhu was a pioneer in hybrid rice research.[/caption]
A pioneer in hybrid rice research and breeding, Prof Zhu was a faculty member at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as a Doctoral Advisor at Wuhan University.
Among his early successes was breeding the Honglian line of rice, a three-line hybridization of red awn wild rice and cultivated rice. The Honglian CMS lines, developed by Prof. Zhu in 1980s led to breeding of several rice hybrids, which were of very good quality, wide adaptability and improved resistance to diseases. These hybrids now cover large rice farming tracts, not only in China, but also in other hybrid rice growing countries like, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam.
His lines have successfully been promoted and utilized at the provincial and national levels, cultivated on about 7 million hectares and have benefited more than 500 million farmers.
Since 1980, Prof Zhu started research on photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile rice. He has successfully bred seven varieties of indica type and japonica type photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile lines; his work has become a valuable model for discerning the molecular mechanism of CMS (cytoplasmic male sterile) and fertility restoration.
Prof. Zhu’s more than five decades of contributions to hybrid rice research, seed breeding and industrialization have brought immense social and economic benefits to China and the hybrid rice industry at large.
Acknowledging Prof. Zhu's national contributions and importance, Secretary-General Xi Jinping made a special trip to the Ezhou experimental base to visit Professor Zhu and appreciate his work.
APSA remembers Prof. Zhu's graciousness, when he took permission from hospital authorities to come to Wuhan University to meet the China Hybrid Rice Study Tour members in August 2015.
The Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) mourns the passing of this doyen in Hybrid Rice Industry.
Our sincere condolences on his passing, go out to his family and colleagues.
