Sino-Pakistan project yields satisfactory results

Zhu Renshan (front right) introduces Honglian-Type hybrid rice to Li Fei (fourth from left), then vice-president of Wuhan University, during Li's visit to the University of the Punjab in Pakistan in 2019. [China Daily]

A hybrid rice variety, jointly developed by China's Wuhan University and the University of the Punjab in Pakistan, is moving toward wider commercial use in Pakistan.

According to the University of Punjab, the variety registered under the name PU-786 is the first Honglian-Type hybrid rice developed in Pakistan. It has been tested across four provinces in the country before a commercialization agreement was signed in March, moving the project from the laboratory toward the market. Muhammad Ashfaq, a professor at the Punjab University and one of the project's key researchers, said that before PU-786, Pakistan's rice sector faced low yields, vulnerability to pests and climate stress, and limited export competitiveness. Farmers also faced unstable harvests and high input costs, limiting the sector's broader potential.

"PU-786 is remarkable because it triples yield potential — up to 5.6 metric tons per acre (13.83 tons per hectare) — while maintaining grain quality suitable for both domestic consumption and export," Ashfaq said. "The difference is not just in numbers. You can see healthier, fuller panicles and more consistent grain quality."

The development partnership dates back to 2018, when the University of the Punjab began working with the Wuhan University team led by Zhu Renshan, a professor at the College of Life Sciences. In 2021, the Luotian base of their joint research center was set up in Huanggang, Hubei, giving the cooperation a more formal institutional footing. Since then, the project has moved through breeding, regional trials, registration and commercialization.

The rice at the center of the cooperation comes from a longer Chinese research tradition. Zhu said the Honglian-Type hybrid, developed over decades at Wuhan University, is known for its broad adaptability, strong resistance, stable seed production and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer, as well as its ability to combine high yields with good grain quality. It has been widely planted in China's Yangtze River Basin and has also flourished in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa, he added.

Muhammad Ashfaq (left) visits an experimental paddy field in Ezhou, Hubei province. [China Daily]

By August 2023, Honglian hybrid rice had been planted on more than 30 million hectares worldwide, according to China News Service."PU-786 fits Pakistan well because of its heat-tolerance, strong resistance to disease and lodging, and relatively lower technical threshold," Zhu said. "It produces firm and non-sticky rice, which suits local eating habits."

The gains could go beyond higher yields. Ashfaq said local farmers' incomes have increased, while Pakistan's export potential has also improved — a critical factor for food security in a country with a growing population. Bringing a mature Chinese breeding system into Pakistan was never going to be straightforward. Zhu described the biggest challenges as adaptation and localization. Climate, soil, light conditions and consumption habits are different, meaning the varieties had to go through ecological testing, regional trials and targeted selection in Pakistan.

Technology transfer and talent cultivation also remain major tasks, he added. The partners plan to establish another hybrid rice research center, focusing on developing more locally adapted varieties for Pakistan, continuing joint breeding work and screening materials with stronger heat and disease resistance.

It would further support researcher exchanges and technical training to strengthen local research and breeding capacity. The Sino-Pakistan hybrid rice collaboration also offers an example for other Belt and Road countries facing similar challenges of low yields, climate stress and food security concerns."This collaboration shows how joint research, shared technology and farmer-focused training can deliver transformative results," Ashfaq said.