The 2nd International Symposium on Improved-Variety Breeding of Honglian Type Hybrid Rice was held in Luotian, Hubei from August 8 to 10, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Tuesday.

During the event, Chinese and Pakistani professionals highlighted their joint rice research achievements and the tangible economic benefits that Honglian hybrid rice brings to Pakistani growers.

Honglian hybrid rice is a pioneering breakthrough developed by the late academician Zhu Yingguo of Wuhan University, ranking among the world’s three major cytoplasmic male sterility systems alongside China’s Wild Abortive type and Japan’s BT type.

Boasting inherent genetic advantages such as heat tolerance, wide adaptability, and premium grain quality, Honglian hybrid rice is widely grown across South China, as well as Belt and Road nations including Pakistan, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Qu Wenqian, Deputy Party Secretary of Wuhan University, noted that Honglian hybrid rice has generated over RMB 9 billion in direct economic benefits in China and Belt and Road partner countries so far.

Professor Zhu Renshan of Wuhan University stressed that the Luotian base safeguards domestic seed security and shares its strengths to secure food supplies for global partners.

According to Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq from the University of the Punjab, about one-third of the rice cultivation area in Pakistan is dedicated to coarse rice, the production of which can be doubled if replaced with hybrid rice.

“There is scope for hybrid rice in Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab. With the adoption of Honglian Type hybrid rice, production will increase manifold, adding billions of rupees to the income of farmers and the economy of Pakistan,” he said at the symposium.

A Joint Research Center of Honglian Type Hybrid Rice was established by Wuhan University and the University of the Punjab in 2020.

After multi-location trials across Pakistan’s four rice zones, the Honglian hybrid rice variety HP4—one of nine hybrid lines tested—was officially registered in Pakistan as PU-786 in 2025.

Following national commercial approval, it launched commercial cultivation nationwide in 2026, standing out for its heat tolerance, pest and disease resistance, and broad adaptability to the water shortages and degraded soil plaguing local farms.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China