The “Father of Hybrid Rice” and co-recipient of the 2004 World Food Prize spoke Tuesday about his research and breeding of “super rice.”

Yuan Longping, director general of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center in Hunan, lectured to a crowd of more than 200 people about his research in breeding hybrid rice.

Longping has been involved in rice research since the 1950s.

In 1973, he discovered the genetic basis in rice of heterosis, a process in which crossbreeds of different strains have qualities superior to either parent strain. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has used Longping’s research to feed an estimated 60 million people more than traditional methods would allow.

Longping’s goal is to increase rice yields to 13.5 tons per hectare by 2010, which could feed another 75 million people.

The original strain of hybrid rice had a yield of 8.5 tons per hectare, 20 percent more than normal rice. Longping’s recent work, divided into two four-year phases, has focused on increasing the potential yield of hybrid rice to create what he calls “Super Hybrid Rice.”

The potential yield was increased 20 percent during the first research phase, between 1996 and 2000, to 10.5 tons per hectare.

“The goal of phase I is to increase [yield] by 20 percent,” Longping said.

Longping said a breakthrough was achieved during the second phase, from 2000 to 2004, which had the goal of another 20 percent increase.

In addition to heterosis, Longping has changed the physical makeup of the plant to increase yields.

“Some scientists say it looks like a waterfall,” said Longping, describing the way in which the extra rice causes the stalks to sag.

Called morphological improvements, these changes include raising the leafy canopy of the rice and increasing the size of the edible portions. He has also lowered the center of gravity of the rice, causing it to sway less in the wind, which can reduce the yield.

“This morphological architecture signifies a huge source of super high yield,” he said. “Further lifting of rice yield should depend on increasing biomass.”

Catherine Woteki, dean of agriculture, said Longping has made “enormous strides in food security.”

“He the epitome of what we expect in a World Food Prize Laureate,” said Woteki, director of the agriculture and home economics experiment station.

Longping will receive the 2004 World Food Prize in Des Moines on Thursday for his research. Monty Jones of Sierra Leone is the second recipient of the award.

The World Food Prize, founded by Nobel Peace Laureate and Iowan Norman Borlaug, is awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to improve the world’s food supply. It is often called the “Nobel Prize of Agriculture.”