Yuan Longping replied: "Learning agriculture is due to a chance: a field trip in the first grade, the teacher took us to a private horticultural farm to visit, I saw the red peaches on the trees, grapes in bunches, flowers are also very beautiful; just then, Chaplin starred in the movie "Modern Times" was staged, there is a shot in the movie, outside the window is the grapes or something, these impressions superimposed, I feel that the grapes and so on. These impressions superimposed, I feel that the countryside is really too beautiful, I want to grow up to study agriculture, if the teacher took us to the real countryside to see, and bitter, poor and dirty, then I certainly will not study agriculture." Its frank answer won applause and laughter.
Because of this childhood wish, after graduating from high school, Yuan was admitted to Chongqing Xianghui College (later renamed Southwest Agricultural College.) After graduating in 1953, Yuan was assigned to Anjiang Agricultural School in Hunan province and became a teacher.
Because of this fortuitous choice, Yuan has been busy in the fields for more than 50 years now.
Keywords
Experimental field
If I'm not at home, I must be in the experimental field; if I'm not in the experimental field, I must be on the way to the experimental field. This is a widely circulated remark made by Yuan Longping, and it is certainly a true reflection of his life.
Yuan's first experimental field was in Anjiang Agricultural School, in the school's Zhonggu Pan 7. On April 30, 1968, more than 700 sterile seedlings were carefully inserted into this field by Yuan and his assistants. However, 18 days later in the night, all these sterile seedlings were pulled out by someone unknown.
In order to speed up the propagation of sterile seedlings, Yuan set his sights on the south, where sunshine hours are longer and temperatures are more favorable. Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian ...... quite a few places suitable for cultivation of hybrid rice have opened up his experimental fields, the ridge, between the paths have left the footprints of Yuan Longping.
In May 1979, the United States famous circular seed company general manager Will its visit to China, the Ministry of Agriculture Seed Company gave him 1.5 kilograms of hybrid rice. Will its bring back to China, that year on the test planting, and immediately get an increase in yield. By 2005, the United States cultivated hybrid rice 800,000 mu, the average yield of more than 600 kilograms per mu, than the local seed yield increase of 25% -35% or more.
In Vietnam, by 2005, hybrid rice cultivation area of nearly 10 million mu. And in the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ecuador, Guinea and some other countries, have begun to test planting hybrid rice.
But Yuan was still "greedy" and wanted to spread hybrid rice to Taiwan.
From the research of hybrid rice to the present, Yuan has spent a long time in the experimental field, no one is afraid to count.
Yuan's first assistant, Yin Huaqi, a senior researcher at the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has been following him since 1966, more than 41 years ago. He projected to the reporter: Mr. Yuan should have worked for at least 90 years from the 1960s to the present. Why do you say so? The old Yin explained: according to Hunan's rice growth pattern, only half a year of work. But Mr. Yuan set up experimental fields all over the south at the same time, so he worked for at least two years a year.
Keywords
Wild defeat
The so-called "wild defeat", the full name of which is "pollen defeat wild rice", is a strain of wild rice.
The wild rice was discovered by Yuan's assistants Li Bihu and Feng Keshan in a swamp near Nanhong Farm in Hainan.
On the morning of Nov. 23, 1970, the two men found a patch of wild rice in this swamp. In their observations, the two men found three wild rice spikes with abnormal male flowers, apparently developed from a single seed. It was determined by Yuan Longping that this was indeed a wild rice plant with abortive male flowers. Everyone was excited.
Originally, the classic theory of the 1950s held that "rice is a self-pollinating plant with no hybrid advantage." But Yuan has always challenged authority, firmly believing in rice's hybrid advantage, and moved toward figuring out the path to hybrid rice.
At that time, the theory of three lines of hybrid rice has been molded, the lack of practical support. The so-called "three lines", that is, male sterility, maintenance, restoration; and to achieve the purpose of the three lines of matching, it is necessary to solve the problem of the first generation of hybrid seeds. In the three lines, the maintenance line, the restoration line in the common rice varieties can be found, but the seed of the male sterile line is difficult to find.
Now, finally found it, like the anxious Zhou Yu waited for the east wind, master and apprentice 3 people how not to rejoice it.1972, China's first rice male sterility and maintenance line "two nine south 1" came out. The next year, the three lines supporting the full success of the 1976, hybrid rice in the country to promote a large area, yield 20% more than conventional rice, Yuan Longping became the world's first rice hybrid advantage successfully applied to the production of people.
In 1995, on the basis of three lines of rice, two lines of rice research success.
Two years later, the 67-year-old Yuan launched another attack on super rice, which now has an acre yield of more than 800 kilograms.
Keywords
Academician
On April 29 this year, Yuan Longping accepted the title of foreign academician awarded by the American Academy of Sciences in Washington. In the selection Yuan was unanimously approved. He won the warmest applause at the scene.
"Mr. Yuan Longping invented the hybrid rice technology, for the world's food security has made an outstanding contribution to the increased production of food for the world to solve the problem of 70 million people eat every year ......" Quite a weighty award speech, from the president of the American Academy of Sciences Sisselona's words.
The U.S. Academy of Sciences is recognized as the most authoritative academic institutions, can be elected unanimously as a member of the U.S. Academy of Sciences, Yuan Longping, but with the Chinese Academy of Sciences several times the title of academician lost.
In May 1991, the Hunan Provincial Government solemnly recommended Yuan Longping for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Department of Biology (academician) candidates, but this year the 34 new biological members of the Department of Biology, but there is no Yuan Longping's name. The following year, the Hunan provincial government again declared the recommendation, Yuan Longping is still missing. 1992, Hunan in the name of the provincial government awarded Yuan Longping "meritorious scientists" honorary title.
In 1995, by the Hunan provincial government again recommended, Yuan was finally elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Many people were upset with Yuan. In the whirlpool of Yuan Longping but calm: "I research hybrid rice is not to become an academician, but for the people to have food."
Keywords
Qiu Shui Yi Ren
"Autumn Shui Yi Ren" is a work left behind by musician He Luting. One evening in the late 1950s, Yuan played the violin on the campus of the Anjiang Agricultural School, obliviously performing the famous song.
Then, near the side of the ringing of a girl's chorus: "Looking through the autumn water, do not see the Iren's silhouette ......" singing voice clear and crisp. Yuan Longping turned his head to see the singer is his student Deng Zai. At this time, Deng Ze is also looking at him with bright eyes, as if asking, why is the teacher so melancholy ah? Yuan Longping could not help but be moved in his heart. Deng Zeh had come to see his teacher.
At that time, Yuan was in the trough of his feelings, and suddenly, from time to time, there was such a dignified and generous girl to accompany him to talk and relieve his boredom, and his mood naturally brightened up a lot. Gradually, Deng was more and more important in Yuan's heart, as if he was the "autumn water" that he was looking for and waiting for.
A few years have passed, and Deng Zai has also taken up the job.
One day, Deng received a poem written by Yuan Longping: "The vast dome of the sky / long years / the road of search / how much I would like to hold / a warm hand / through the miserable winds and rains / searching for all the north and south and east and west / suddenly look back / the man is at hand.
It turned out to be a poem of love. The first time I read it, Deng couldn't help but feel his heart beating faster. In fact, she also has long been in love, and since then the two began to date.
In the first month of 1964, after a simple ceremony, the two came together. After marriage, his wife, who also graduated from an agricultural school, helped Yuan Longping a lot. In the field, his wife worked with him to find seedling materials, and filial piety to the elderly, raising children, these family matters Yuan Longping also basically threw to his wife, seldom pay attention to. Every time he talks about his wife, Yuan's gratitude overflows.
Silver wedding anniversary day, Yuan specially let his wife put on a wedding dress, took a wedding photo as a souvenir. Facing the camera, looking at his wife's shy face, Yuan smiled happily.
Keywords
Realistic
Realistic, that is, everything from the actual starting point, do not tell lies, only do the real thing. This is Yuan Longping's consistent and distinctive style for people.
In 1992, a media in the front page published a summary of the symposium, published some people's views, greatly belittled hybrid rice, said hybrid rice is "three rice", that is, "rice does not feed people, chaff does not feed pigs, grass does not feed cattle.
This Yuan Longping fire: when they are not academician does not matter, but the reputation of hybrid rice can not be denigrated. Yuan Longping immediately in the name of readers to the "People's Daily" wrote a letter titled "hybrid rice can be both high-yield and high-quality", with ironclad facts describing the current situation of hybrid rice and a bright future. On June 18 of that year, the People's Daily published the short letter.
In addition to his meticulous attitude toward scientific research, Yuan is also very "serious" about the details of his life.
In October 1995, Yuan was awarded the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Food Security Guarantee Award and returned to Changsha, where he was warmly welcomed at Huanghua Airport. When the welcoming ceremony was almost over, a leader arrived in a hurry, and the leader's entourage proposed to Yuan Longping that the TV station should take a supplementary shot of Yuan and the leader coming out of the airport together. Yuan waved his hand and said, "No, it violates the authenticity!" His dry answer made the leader and his entourage quite embarrassed.
Yuan Longping's truth-seeking attitude also convinced many reporters. He emphasized several times to the former interview reporters: scientific reports do not organize, do not "pose for the camera", do not make false, must be like our science as factual.
Academicians in Hunan talk about Yuan Longping: he never took the plane only ordinary class
Red net May 24 (Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter Li Kefu) "Yuan Longping academician is both scientific research of the great man, but also life on the ordinary people!" The day before yesterday, in the provincial scientific and technological community to study the advanced deeds of academician Yuan Longping symposium, attended in Hunan Chinese Academy of Engineering, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the provincial capital of experts and scholars of the relevant units together talk about Longping spirit. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vice chairman of the provincial CPPCC Yao Shoujiao attended the meeting.
Yao Shoukou recalled his dealings with Yuan Longping: "One year, I took the plane to Beijing, was sitting in the ordinary cabin on the plane, inadvertently found Yuan Longping also sitting in the ordinary cabin, and asked: 'Yuan academician, how do you also sit in the ordinary cabin?' Academician Yuan replied that he had never sat in ordinary class." According to the relevant regulations, Yuan academician and Yao Shoukou were fully qualified to sit in first class, but both of them chose to sit in ordinary class.
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chairman of the provincial Association for Science and Technology, He Jishan, said, "Yuan's strict requirements and willingness to dedicate himself to the current trend of impatience and academic water in the academic world is a far cry from the world." He Jishan said, "Nowadays, more publicity is given to singers and movie stars, and it is more important to publicize and learn from 'super boys' in science like Yuan Longping."
Guan Chunyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice chairman of the provincial Association for Science and Technology, who has had more contact with Yuan, said, "Mr. Yuan is very busy at work, and there are a lot of people looking for him every day, but Hunan Agricultural University's graduate student enrollment every year, no matter when as long as he receives a call from me, he comes on time to attend, and he also personally participates in the interview."
[Source: reddit synthesis]