According to the WAN Jianmin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences CAAS and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China has made several breakthroughs during the “135” period in breeding new crop varieties of staple crops that are of high quality, more tolerant for tough conditions and more suitable for machine reaping. China’s independently cultivated varieties occupy now more than 95 percent of the total crop planting area, making the country completely self-sufficient in the production of rice and wheat, two staple grains. In 2020, China’s total grain output reached 669 million t. Per capita grain supply has reached 478 kg, higher than the world average of 400 kg.A research center for protecting and utilizing crop germplasm resources has been set up, preserving the second-largest amount of crop germplasm resources in the world.

During the “145” period, CAAS will focus on developing new varieties such as green super rice, water-saving wheat, scab-resistant wheat, drought-tolerant corn, and high-yield and high-protein soybean. CAAS plans also to accelerate the cultivation of new crop varieties that are environment-friendly, resource-efficient, high-quality, and suitable for simple cultivation and mechanized production for major grain-producing areas in China.

CAS news release, January 12, 2021