Chinese agronomists have cultivated new species of "super rice," the Super Rice II YOU 28, with average per hectare yield reaching a record high of 18,449.55 kilograms.

The figure broke the records set in 2004 which witnessed per hectare yield of 18,298.5 kilograms, setting a new world record inthe per-unit rice yield, said Shi Changjun, group leader of the super rice acceptance test.

Experts from the China Rice Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University and the Yunnan Provincial Academy of Agriculture conducted on-the-spot acceptance check on Saturday over harvest of the super rice.

The research project of "Super Rice II YOU 28" was headed by Liu Wenbing, China's famous hybrid rice specialist, and was undertaken by the Fine Strain Biochemical Research institute of Youxi County of east China's Fujian Province.

The new species of high-yield hybrid rice was sown in March, planted in May and harvested on September 10 in Taoyuan Village, Yongsheng County of south China's Yunnan Province, with fertility period lasting 192 days.

Ma Liangyong, a research fellow with the China Rice Research Institute, said that the species of Super Rice II YOU 28, with strong stalks and large ears, will play significant roles in promoting grain production both in China and in the world.

Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency