Five things you didn't know about the "Father of Hybrid Rice"
On May 22, legendary agronomist Yuan Longping, known as the “father of hybrid rice,” sadly passed away in a hospital in Changsha, Hunan province, at the age of 91. Yuan’s breakthrough discoveries, made in the 1970s, created high-yield hybrid rice strains that are estimated to have helped feed an additional 80 million people in China each year.
A memorial service was held in Changsha to bid farewell to Yuan on May 24, and countless obituaries have paid tribute to the man whose work helped stave off famine for millions. But Yuan's private life is less well known, and involved swimming, motorbike riding, and almost led to a career in the air force. From a potential national athlete to his love of the violin, here are some of the lesser known aspects of Yuan’s life.
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