Chinese scientists have announced a series of major breakthroughs in developing “precision-designed” seeds that can increase crop yields while reducing fertilizer use and enhancing disease resistance, marking a significant advance for food security and sustainable agriculture.
At a press conference held on Monday, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the scientific achievements of its strategic priority research program, “Precision Seed Design and Breeding.” Launched in November 2019, this flagship initiative has brought together experts from over 30 institutions to address pressing challenges in agriculture, including excessive fertilizer use, frequent crop diseases, and limited arable land.
“Over the past six years, the program has created 37 pilot crop and livestock varieties, enhancing their superior traits. These varieties have been cultivated across nearly 14.48 million mu (about 965,000 hectares), delivering substantial social and economic benefits,” said Li Jiayang, CAS academician and chief scientist of the program.
Researchers have identified key genes that govern valuable crop traits such as higher yield, improved nutrient use efficiency, and enhanced resistance to pests, drought and diseases. By leveraging advanced technologies like genome editing, they have developed new crop varieties that achieve both high performance and environmental sustainability.
