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20 July 2025, Volume 31 Issue 4 Previous Issue   
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Current Challenges and Pathways to Enhancing Large-Scale Per-Unit Yield of Rice in China XU Chunchun, JI Long, CHEN Zhongdu, LI Dan, FANG Fuping 2025, 31(4): 1-4.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.001 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (543KB) ( )   There are significant differences in rice production levels across different years, varieties, and regions in China, indicating considerable room for improvement in rice yield per unit area. Currently, enhancing rice yield per unit area in China faces growing challenges, including a shortage of breakthrough varieties, insufficient reserves of simplified high-yield technologies, difficulties in implementing standardized techniques, and inadequate innovation in disaster prevention and control technologies. Concerted efforts are needed in variety breeding, technology integration, technology promotion, and disaster prevention. It is essential to translate the potential of science and technology into actual rice production, convert the results of regional trials into farmers’ yields, and drive the continuous enhancement of rice production capacity.

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Production Situation and Countermeasure Suggestions of Ratoon Rice in China in the New Era FENG Yupeng, LIU Akang, CHEN Danyang, HE Juan, LIANG Jian, WAN Kejiang, E Wendi 2025, 31(4): 5-8.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.002 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (642KB) ( )   The production of ratoon rice has a long history in China, and in recent years, it has continuously achieved new progress and reached new heights. This paper systematically reviews the development history of ratoon rice in China, comprehensively summarizes its development characteristics in the new era from the perspectives of production area, yield level, and planting distribution. Meanwhile, it outlines the remarkable achievements China made in the cultivation and screening of superior ratoon rice varieties, the research, development, and transformation of supporting agricultural machinery, as well as the integration and promotion of relevant technologies. Furthermore, it delves into the existing shortcomings and deficiencies in the development of ratoon rice in China during the new era, including the selection of superior varieties, the formulation of suitable farming methods, the application of advanced machinery, and disaster prevention. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes targeted countermeasure suggestions from multiple aspects, such as strengthening planning guidance, promoting technological research, development, and integrated promotion, and improving socialized services. The aim is to provide valuable references and insights for the future development of ratoon rice in China.

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Occurrence Patterns of Rice Diseases and Pests and Integrated Innovation of Green Control Technologies in China During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period ZHUO Fuyan, ZHANG Yiyang, GUO Yongwang, LIU Hui, E Wendi 2025, 31(4): 9-12.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.003 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (582KB) ( )   Rice, as a major staple food crop in China, has its pest and disease control work directly related to national food security. This paper conducts an in-depth analysis based on the statistical data of the national plant protection discipline from 2016 to 2024. It comprehensively summarizes and reviews the occurrence characteristics, damage and losses caused by rice pests and diseases, as well as the achievements in prevention and control efforts during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Meanwhile, it systematically reviews the latest advancements and innovative achievements in green prevention and control technologies and models, encompassing agricultural, biological, and chemical control methods. On this basis, targeted suggestions are proposed for the future green production of rice, aiming to provide practical references for increasing the per-unit yield of rice and other grain and oil crops over large areas.

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Establish a Symmetric, High-quality, and Healthy Population is the Key to Achieving Synergistic Improvements in Rice Yield and Quality QIAN Haoyu, LI Weiwei, CHEN Lin, TANG She, DING Chengqiang, WANG Songhan, JIANG Yu, LIU Zhenghui, LI Ganghua, DING Yanfeng 2025, 31(4): 13-18.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.004 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (844KB) ( )   Rice serves as the primary staple food crop in China, making sustained synergistic high yield and quality essential for national food security is of great significance. With arable land and water resources increasingly constrained, enhancing grain productivity primarily depends on maximizing yield per unit area. While modern high-yielding and high-quality rice varieties feature large panicles with abundant grains, improper cultivation practices often result in uneven population development and insufficient grain filling in inferior spikelets, severely limiting their yield potential. Based on over two decades of theoretical research and technological exploration, the author’s team innovatively proposed the “Balanced, High-Quality, and Healthy Rice Population Theory” and constructed a cultivation technical system for balanced rice populations centered around the principles of “symmetric and early tillering, regulation of plant carbon-nitrogen metabolism, and enhanced grain filling in inferior spikelets”. The system integrates four key technologies: one-time slow-release and blended fertilization technique, precision seeding and simplified seedling cultivation, uniform transplanting with shortened seedling establishment periods, and synchronized grain filling for superior and inferior spikelets. By optimizing uniformity in panicle number per hill, grain number per panicle, and grain filling synchronization, this approach has substantially increased rice yield and quality. It has provided important theoretical guidance and technological support for safeguarding China’s food security.

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Molecular Breeding for Pests and Diseases Resistance in Rice: Current Status, Challenges and Prospects TU Zhouyi, LIU Shiyu, FU Chenjian, XIE Zhimei, HU Xiaochun, QIN Peng, SUN Zhenbiao, JIANG Nan, YANG Yuanzhu 2025, 31(4): 19-25.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.005 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (729KB) ( )   Over the past two decades, global scientists have continuously explored the field of rice-pathogen/pest interactions, achieving numerous significant outcomes. They have not only elucidated the genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying host resistance but also provided critical gene resources, strategies, and technical support for molecular breeding of rice varieties resistant to pests and diseases, which holds important theoretical and practical implications for green and safe production of rice. This paper reviewed the research progress in cloning and understanding the molecular mechanisms of resistance genes against rice blast, bacterial blight, and the brown planthopper, introduced the practices and advancements made by Longping High-tech in the molecular breeding of hybrid rice for resistance to diseases and pests, analyzed the challenges faced by current molecular breeding efforts for disease and pest resistance, and provided an outlook on future development trends.

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Research Progress and Prospects of Two-Line Hybrid Japonica Rice Breeding DONG Wei, SHEN Xiqiong, GU Anyu, TU Jian, KUI Limei, JIANG Qiyong, LI Xiaolin 2025, 31(4): 26-31.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.006 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (801KB) ( )   Two-line hybrid rice is of great significance in harnessing the heterosis of rice and ensuring China’s food security. By May 2025, there were only 10 national approved varieties of two-line hybrid japonica rice, accounting for just 0.23% of the national approved rice varieties during same the period. Based on the current development status of two-line hybrid japonica rice, this paper summarized the progress in the breeding of japonica dual-purpose genic male sterile lines and the genetic loci and mechanisms of photo-thermo-sensitive male sterility in japonica dual-purpose genic male sterile lines, and conducted an in-depth analysis of the reasons why its development lags far behind that of two-line hybrid indica rice. Furthermore, it puts forward targeted countermeasures for future development, aiming to provide valuable suggestions and references for promoting the breeding and application of two-line hybrid japonica rice.

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Research Progress and Prospects of Doubled Haploid Technology in Rice JIN Xingchen, HUANG Yuheng, XU Jiangmin, WANG Kejian, RAO Yuchun, LIU Chaolei 2025, 31(4): 32-36.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.007 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (533KB) ( )   Doubled haploid(DH) technology accelerates the production of fully homozygous breeding lines within just 1 to 2 generations, representing a significant improvement over conventional methods that require 6 to 10 generations of selfing or backcrossing. The process involves four key steps: haploid induction, haploid identification, chromosome doubling, and the cultivation and application of doubled haploids(DHs). Haploid induction, which serves as the foundation of this system, currently employs two main approaches in rice: (1) the well-established anther culture method and (2) the emerging hybridization-based method utilizing haploid inducers (HIs). This review highlights recent advances in HI-mediated DH technology for rice, analyzes the technical challenges encountered at each step, and explores its future applications in rice breeding.

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Research Progress on Soil Health Cultivation in Paddy Fields XU Qingshan, ZHU Chunquan, YAN Yulian, WANG Hangfeng, LI shangpan, CHI Chunxin, KONG Yali, ZHU Lianfeng, TIAN Wenhao, CAO Xiaochuang, YU Yijun, ZHANG Junhua 2025, 31(4): 37-43.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.008 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (980KB) ( )   Cultivating healthy paddy soil is of great significance for ensuring China’s food security, promoting the sustainable development of paddy soil, and improving the ecological environment. Scientific and reasonable paddy soil improvement measures are the key to managing soil barrier factors and cultivating healthy soil. In view of the current status of paddy soil quality degradation in China, this paper clarifies the connotation of soil health, summarizes the biochemical pathways for improving paddy soil health through different paddy soil health cultivation measures, and advocating for the establishment of a multidimensional integrated evaluation system for paddy soil health. In conclusion, this essay puts forward prospects for paddy soil improvement in China, with the aim of providing theoretical support and technical guidance to improve China’s soil quality and achieve sustainable soil utilization.

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Types and Improvements of Medium- and Low-Yield Paddy Fields ZHANG Jianfeng, MA Shihao, CAO Yudong, LI Xiaokun 2025, 31(4): 44-50.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.009 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (980KB) ( )   Currently, the implementation rate of agricultural field production technologies in China is not high, and a balanced production growth pattern of “multi-technology integration and large-scale popularization” has not yet been formed. In key areas such as agricultural technology, plant protection, soil fertility, and seeds, support measures are relatively isolated and synergistic effects lacked, which limited the improvement of agricultural production efficiency. Therefore, it has become a crucial task for current agricultural development to deeply explore and utilize the yield-increasing potential of production factors such as land, seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, as well as various aspects of farming, planting, management, and harvesting, and to rapidly promote advanced and practical high-quality and high-efficiency varieties and technologies. Rice is a main food crop in China and plays a vital role in ensuring the country’s food security, social development, and human survival. Farmland is the foundation of grain production; however, approximately 7.67 million hectares (i.e., 24.4% of the total paddy fields area) in China are low-yield fields, which directly affects the stable growth of grain production. Clarifying the current situation and identifying obstacle factors for low-and medium-yield paddy fields in China is crucial to tapping their yield-increasing potential are of great significance for achieving sustained and stable increases in grain production. Based on the summary of a large amount of related literature, the medium- and low-yield paddy fields were classified as fertilised field, cold-gleyed field, bonded field, harden field and contaminated field. For these different types of paddy fields, the main obstacle factors were analyzed, and the corresponding improvement management measures and their application effects were reviewed. Finally, suggestions for future improvement research were proposed in light of the problems existing in the current improvement of low- and medium-yield paddy fields.

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Research Progress on Intelligent and Unmanned Technology for Rice Seedling-Raising and Transplanting XIA Yuxin, LING Yufei, FENG Yuan, GU Yuankun, ZHU Haibin, XU Fangfu, LI Guangyan, GAO Hui, WEI Haiyan, ZHANG Hongcheng, HU Qun 2025, 31(4): 51-56.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.010 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (764KB) ( )   Traditional methods of rice seedling-raising and transplanting in China suffer from high consumption of human and material resources and low efficiency. With the advancement of technology, intelligent and unmanned agricultural technologies have become increasingly prevalent, effectively reducing the human and material resources required for agricultural production and significantly enhancing productivity. This article provides a comprehensive review of the development, the current research status, and application cases of intelligent and unmanned rice seedling-raising and transplanting technologies. It also delves into the challenges and issues faced by these technologies and looks ahead to their future development trends. In the seedling-raising and transplanting process, intelligent seedling production lines and key agronomic techniques are combined with unmanned transplanters. These transplanters are equipped with satellite positioning and automatic navigation systems. They can achieve intelligent seedling raising and fully unmanned transplanting operations, thereby improving work efficiency to some extent. In fertilization and pesticide spraying operations, using unmanned aerial vehicle can enhance fertilizer utilization and effectively reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases. However, there are still shortcomings in the accuracy, practicality, and stability of these intelligent and unmanned technologies, which necessitate ongoing optimization and improvement of these technologies.

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Research Progress on Key Technology of Rice Intelligent Harvesting ZHANG Wenyu, WU Sijin, ZHANG Zhigang, DING Fan, HE Jie, HU Lian, LUO Xiwen 2025, 31(4): 57-62.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.011 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (826KB) ( )   With the continuous deepening of rural population aging in China, it is urgent to enhance the intelligence level of rice production. Among various production stages, the demand for intelligence in the harvesting process is particularly pressing and challenging to achieve. Currently, due to the limited capacity of grain bins in intelligent rice harvesters, frequent unloading is required during operations, which significantly impacts the operational efficiency. To address this issue, this paper systematically reviews the research progress on key technologies of two collaborative operation modes, namely fixed-point unloading and vehicle-following unloading, by integrating the current research status at home and abroad. In terms of fixed-point unloading technology, through the application of high-precision spatial geometric modeling, parking distance compensation prediction, and stereo vision detection technology, precise alignment with longitudinal deviation less than 0.20 m and lateral deviation less than 0.10 m has been achieved, effectively improving the accuracy and efficiency of unloading. In the aspect of vehicle-following unloading technology, based on an improved inter-machine communication protocol (utilizing radio/4G dual-mode) and the Kalman filter delay compensation method, the communication error has been successfully reduced by over 82.00%. Meanwhile, combined with the gain self-adjusting single-neuron control algorithm, the dynamic collaborative longitudinal deviation is stably controlled within ±0.08 m, significantly enhancing the stability and reliability of vehicle-following unloading. Regarding path planning, this paper constructs a multi-objective optimization model based on an improved ant colony algorithm. Simulation results indicate that the adoption of this model can improve collaborative operation efficiency by 13.58%, further optimizing the harvesting process. By integrating the aforementioned technologies, the constructed collaborative system enables a rice harvesting efficiency of 0.42 hectares per hour, representing a 26.00% increase compared to single-machine operations. However, existing research still has certain limitations in terms of adaptability to complex farmland environments and applicability to irregular plots. In the future, it is necessary to further strengthen the system's robustness and conduct multi-scenario validation to promote the widespread application and development of intelligent rice harvesting technology.

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Research and Practice on High Yield Formation and Cultivation Techniques of Rice in Coastal Saline-Alkali Land WEI Huanhe, MENG Tianyao, CHEN Yinglong, ZUO Wengang, YAO Rongjiang, GAO Pinglei, XU Ke, ZHANG Hongcheng, DAI Qigen 2025, 31(4): 63-70.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.012 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (794KB) ( )   China is actively promoting the development and utilization of coastal saline-alkali land to vigorously expand rice production. In view of the practical issues in rice production on coastal saline-alkali land, such as low and unstable yields and unclear high-yield cultivation techniques, we have systematically summarized our team’s research and practical work on the formation of high-yield rice and corresponding cultivation techniques in coastal saline-alkali land. The laws governing the formation of high-yield rice in coastal saline-alkali land are mainly manifested in the following three aspects: (1) Ensuring an adequate number of panicles per unit area with relatively large panicle size to collaboratively achieve a sufficient sink capacity of the population and maintain a high degree of sink filling; (2) Stabilizing the early-stage growth of rice, reasonably increasing the mid-stage photosynthetic growth, and significantly enhancing the dry matter accumulation capacity in the late stage; (3) Relying on good plant architecture and population support to ensure that the sink capacity of the population can be fully filled with grains. Based on these laws, we have conducted a series of targeted studies on high-yield cultivation techniques for rice in coastal saline-alkali land, covering such key technologies for soil desalination, key technologies for soil fertilization improvement, screening and identification of salt-tolerant rice varieties, appropriate density-fertilizer combinations and brackish water irrigation techniques, as well as the application of exogenous growth regulators. On this basis, we have integrated and developed a rapid and efficient desalination and fertilization improvement technique that combines multiple cycles of “plowing, sunning, soaking, rotary tilling, and draining” with the application of organic fertilizers, as well as a comprehensive mechanical transplantation cultivation technique characterized by the use of salt-tolerant and high-quality varieties and the practices of “early sowing, frequent irrigation, strong seedlings, dense planting, and sufficient fertilization.” Through the integrated application of these techniques, a complete set of high-quality, high-yield, and efficient mechanical transplantation cultivation techniques for rice in coastal saline-alkali land has been established, achieving remarkable effects in soil improvement and yield increase on coastal saline-alkali land.

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Advancement and Development of Mechanized Technology in Hybrid Rice Seed Production and Processing LIU Aimin, TANG Wenbang 2025, 31(4): 71-78.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.013 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (1187KB) ( )   Following research into the application of equipment such as rice seed coating and printing machines, rice transplanters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and grain dryers in the fully mechanized seed production technology of hybrid rice, a set of key technologies for fully mechanized seed production has been innovatively integrated. These technologies encompass processes including precise sowing and seedling raising of parental lines, mechanical transplanting of parental lines, UAV spraying of GA3 (commonly known as‘920’), UAV-assisted pollination, and mechanical drying of seeds, and have undergone preliminary promotion and application. On the basis of in-depth exploration of the chalkiness deterioration characteristics of hybrid rice seeds, we have successfully developed the “Hybrid Rice Chalky-Deteriorated Seed Optical Sorting Machine”. After sorting chalky-deteriorated hybrid seeds using this machine, their germination rate can be increased by approximately 8.0 percentage points. Furthermore, we propose the development of supporting machinery for seed production and processing, such as a male parent-specific cutting machine, seedling raising systems compatible with mechanized transplanting, specialized pollination UAVs, as well as an integrated automated production line for drying, cleaning, weighing, and packaging. This paves the way for the further development of the hybrid rice seed production industry.

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Research on the Water Demand of Rice and Its Influencing Factors WANG Bin, YANG Cheng, WU Penghao, LI Xiaokun 2025, 31(4): 79-85.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.014 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (732KB) ( )   ET0 Calculator and single crop coefficient method were used to calculate the water demand of rice. The effects of rice planting regions, rice types and planting period on water demand of rice in recent 41 years in China were analyzed, and the relative importance of climatic factors affecting water demand was compared to clarify the water demand of rice and its influencing factors in China, and to provide a theoretical basis for the efficient utilization of water in rice. The water demand of rice increases gradually with the growth process. The minimum value of total water demand in the whole growth period is 4 057.0 t/hm2, the maximum value is 9 788.0 t/hm2, and the average value is 6 621.0 t/hm2. The average daily water demand increases first and then decreases. The daily average water demand of the green-returning stage, tillering stage, jointing-booting stage, heading and filling stage and yellow-ripen stage is 50.0, 63.0, 75.0, 64.0 and 37.0 t/hm2·d, respectively. Factors such as rice planting regions, rice types, and planting period have a certain impact on water demand. The water demand of rice in Northeast China, Northeast China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Southern China and Southwest China is 5 161.0~6 111.0, 8 845.0-9 788.0, 5 211.0-9 591.0, 4 057.0-5 676.0 and 7 658.0-8 347.0 t/hm2, respectively. The water demand of early rice, late rice and single rice is 5 211.0-5 891.0, 6 074.0-6 990.0 and 8 428.0-9 545.0 t/hm2, respectively. With the passage of planting period, the water demand of rice shows an increasing trend. Among the climatic factors affecting rice water demand, the relative importance of average temperature, maximum temperature, sunshine hours, minimum temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and wind speed account for 25.5%, 22.9%, 22.6%, 20.9%, 4.9%, 1.7% and 1.5%, respectively.

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Research on Rice Pest and Disease Recognition System Based on Improved EfficientNet-V2 JIAO Jiabao, LI Lingyi, LIU Yongjian, CHEN Xiangfu, LUO Ju, YANG Baojun, YAO Qing, LIU Shuhua 2025, 31(4): 86-95.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.015 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (1530KB) ( )   To address the limitations of traditional rice pest and disease recognition methods, such as low efficiency and susceptibility to subjective interference, as well as the shortcomings of existing deep learning models in capturing subtle features of rice pests and diseases and handling category-imbalanced data, a series of research and practical efforts have been undertaken. Firstly, pest and disease images were collected in rice fields using AR glasses. A rice pest and disease dataset was then constructed by combining these images with the publicly available dataset IP102 and images sourced from the web. Data augmentation techniques were employed to expand the training samples, thereby mitigating issues related to category imbalance and image quality. Secondly, based on the EfficientNet-V2 model, the CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention mechanism was introduced to replace the original SE (Squeeze-and-Excitation) module, aiming to enhance the model’s ability to capture detailed features of rice pests and diseases. Additionally, the PolyLoss loss function was adopted to optimize the learning process for unbalanced data, leading to the construction of the EfficientNet-V2-Rice model for rice pest and disease recognition. Finally, leveraging the improved recognition model, a companion intelligent recognition APP for Android smartphones was developed. This APP boasts a rich set of features, integrating core modules such as user registration and login, image uploading, intelligent recognition, retrieval of recognition results, and viewing of detailed information. Users can simply capture images of rice pests and diseases using their smartphone cameras and upload them to the APP to quickly obtain accurate recognition results. They can also retrieve and view detailed information about historical recognition records at any time. To verify the effectiveness of the model improvement strategy, ablation and comparison experiments were conducted. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed EfficientNet-V2-Rice model performs exceptionally well in rice pest and disease recognition tasks, achieving precision, recall, and F1 scores of 84.92%, 86.00%, and 85.45%, respectively. The Android smartphone APP developed based on this model provides users with convenient and efficient recognition services, offering a practical tool for the intelligent monitoring and auxiliary diagnosis of rice pests and diseases.

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Green and Low-Carbon Utilization of Crop Straws as Fertilizer WANG Qiangsheng, ZHANG Hui, SHEN Ye, CAO Hongling, DING Wanli, XU Ya, LIU Weihu 2025, 31(4): 96-99.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.016 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (526KB) ( )   China’s crop straw resources are characterized by abundant reserves, diverse types, and widespread distribution. Effectively utilizing these crop straw resources represents a significant challenge in modern agricultural production and is also a crucial technological issue that urgently needs to be addressed. Among various utilization methods, converting straw into fertilizer for use is the primary approach for comprehensive straw utilization. This paper elaborates on three main methods of straw fertilizer utilization—direct return to the field, compost return to the field, and carbonization return to the field—and analyzes their respective advantages and disadvantages. Based on field trial results, it has been found that all three methods—direct return to the field, compost return to the field, and carbonization return to the field—can effectively reduce soil bulk density, increase soil porosity, and enhance soil organic matter content. Furthermore, compost return to the field and carbonization return to the field demonstrate significant effects in pest and disease control, as well as in reducing weed growth, playing a positive role in promoting green agricultural development and facilitating the transition to low-carbon agriculture.

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Research Progress on Low Cadmium Varieties Breeding and Processing Technology of Reducing Cadmium in Rice WANG Junrui, CHEN Mingxue, CHEN Hongqi 2025, 31(4): 100-104.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.017 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (771KB) ( )   In recent years, there has been a growing body of research focused on the prevention and control of Cd pollution in rice, primarily concentrating on two major directions: the remediation of paddy fields contaminated with heavy metal Cd and the breeding of new rice varieties with low Cd uptake. This paper provides a comprehensive review based on a clear understanding of the current status and hazards of soil Cd pollution, as well as the impacts of Cd stress on rice growth, development, and physiological and biochemical functions. It delves into three aspects: the breeding of low Cd-accumulating rice varieties, the exploration of relevant genes, and the processing technologies for reducing Cd in rice. The currently approved rice varieties with low Cd accumulation have achieved early, mid and late maturity combinations in the Hunan region. The table lists the molecular marker patents related to low Cd accumulation in rice. It looks forward to the future research directions of Cd in rice. The aim is to deepen the understanding of measures for reducing Cd in rice and to offer a reference basis for subsequent research in this field.

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Review, Achievements, and Prospects of Hybrid Rice Breeding in Guangxi in the Past 50 Years DENG Guofu, DAI Gaoxing, CHEN Weiwei 2025, 31(4): 105-116.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-8082.2025.04.018 Abstract ( )   HTML ( )   PDF (1446KB) ( )   Guangxi stands as one of China’s earliest provinces to conduct hybrid rice breeding research. Over the past five decades, rice breeders in Guangxi have achieved a series of breakthroughs in three-line hybrid rice system development, high-quality breeding, and mechanistic research. Notably, they were the first to select four out of six first-generation restorer lines (Taiyin 1, IR24, IR665, and IR26) for three-line hybrid rice systems. In the 1980s, they pioneered the development of Gui 99, a high-quality strong restorer line utilizing wild rice genetic resources, which became one of China’s three major second-generation restorer lines and contributed to 405 hybrid rice combinations. Since the new millennium, Guangxi has taken the lead in breeding national premium rice standard-compliant varieties such as Qiuyou 1025, Meiyou 998, and Baiyou 838, which have become mainstay varieties across South China and the country. In recent years, the province has developed aromatic premium hybrid rice varieties like Yexiangyou Lisi and Youxiangyou Simiao, establishing benchmarks for high-end aromatic indica hybrid rice in China. These varieties have repeatedly won gold medals in national rice quality evaluations, securing the highest number of awards nationwide. The region has also cloned novel genes like OsMKK3 and GNP12 related to grain morphology and chalkiness, elucidating the molecular basis of aromatic hybrid rice quality formation. Over five decades, Guangxi has bred 1,187 hybrid rice varieties, with cumulative promotion exceeding 40.81 million hectares nationwide and in ASEAN countries, significantly advancing China’s hybrid rice technology, particularly in premium quality breeding. Looking ahead, Guangxi’s hybrid rice breeding will align with industrial demands, leverage regional advantages, and innovate breeding objectives focusing on “aroma, softness, and superior quality; yield potential, stress resistance, and aesthetic appeal.” Through multi-trait collaborative improvement breeding techniques, the province will prioritize developing new aromatic premium indica hybrid rice varieties to meet diversified market demands for high-end aromatic premium rice.