Planting 40 years of rice!He, one -footed field, one -footed edge

Text ｜ "China Science News" reporter Zhang Shuanghu

Huang Xin

In September 2021, He Zuhua (front left) and students were on Songjiang Farm. Interviewee confidence

From the research team of Master Student Shen Zongtan (the famous rice genetic breeding expert in my country) in 1983, the research of pushing rice in rice anti -permeable genetic breeding, which was recently selected as "the most beautiful science and technology worker" in Shanghai in 2022, the molecular plant of the Chinese Academy of Sciences He Zuhua, a researcher at the Science Innovation Center, has been "deeply cultivated" in the field of rice breeding for 40 years.

Over the past 40 years, He Zuhua has been in front of the field and cutting edge. In addition to publishing many important papers in publications such as "Science", "Cell", and "Nature", the broad -spectrum anti -disease genes developed to multiple species companies and various types of industries and companies will be provided to multiple breeding companies and for free. Breeding experts. At present, a new variety of high -disease resistance using this gene has been promoted more than 30 million acres, which has achieved huge economic and social benefits in agricultural production and farmers' income increase.

When it comes to the achievements, He Zuhua believes that this is due to the team's "persistent and long -lasting."

"Rough" "fine" "fine"

"Research on genetic breeding of crops and diseases, theoretical research on the theoretical alone, must be rooted in the field." He Zuhua said.

Research on rice disease resistance requires scientific researchers to go to rice fields to inoculate the pathogen (like human anti -epidemic needle), then observe the onset, find a target plant with excellent traits, and then conduct multiple hybridization, return, screening ...

After selecting the "materials" with excellent traits, "verify" in different plots, that is, in the mountain "sick garden" in mountainous areas in different rice production areas (the base for observation and research on the natural onset of rice) for "natural identification" And test species at different conditions of test bases.

For decades, He Zuhua's footprints have spread throughout Hainan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and other places. It is even "home often."

"These places have to go several times a year, but this year I ca n’t go because of the epidemic. I can only ask the locals to help us grow and help us see it. I will send photos in the case." He Zuhua said.

"As long as rice is diseased, Mr. He will come and see from time to time." Liu Jiyun, an engineer stationed in Songjiang Test Field, said, "Every time at critical time nodes such as sowing, transplanting, vaccination, harvesting, etc., Teacher He will personally go to the field to guide students Character inspection and record. "

He Zuhua's own habit of doing everything has been developed since his student days. The mentor Shen Zongtan is rigorous, and the requirements for students are also very strict. The field records of students must clearly record details such as hybrid combinations, sowing periods, starting ears, and Qi Sui.

"Remember to inoculate rice plague during the seedlings at that time, Mr. (Shen Zongtan) requested that each seed must be sowed by 1 cm." He Zuhua recalled, "There are thousands of inoculation of thousands of strains, so he called several teachers of the same department to help. Mr. Don't worry, just supervise it on the side. "

Affected by the mentor, in the test field of He Zuhua's team, the size of the longitudinal and horizontal intervals of rice was neatly neat.

"The work is solid and meticulous to make mistakes. Which rice plants may be good and which may not be good. The marks are clear and meticulous to be eaten by the sparrow." He Zuhua said, "If it is confused or wrong, , It may waste a season. "

Perseverance for a long time

Rice is an important food crop. For a long time, there have been many types of rice diseases and insect pests in my country and a wide range of incidence, which has a serious threat to agricultural production and food safety.

In order to effectively control rice diseases, crop breeding scholars and pathologists have long been committed to breeding and breeding long -spectrum rice disease -resistant varieties.

How to make rice resistance while not affecting its output traits, and maintain a balance between plant resistance and growth and development? At the same time, in the face of the continuous evolution of pathogenic bacteria, how can the plant's immune barrier effectively resist the repeated attacks of different pathogenic bacteria? This is an important issue for long -term trouble in He Zuhua's team.

"Hybridization of a variety with good traits with another variety, the descendants will show a lot of traits, so the improved variety must be made for breeding, at least five or six times. The year. "He Zuhua said," Long time, slow seeing, rice breeding needs 'persistent, long -term merit'. "

Compared with the laboratory model plant, the growth cycle of rice is long and the traits are complex and changeable. In 2006, He Zuhua's team identified a gene site Pigm, which can fight almost all mutant germs that can almost fight rice plague. Since then, the team has spent another 10 years before systematically analyzes the mechanism of this site.

In 2017, the paper published by He Zuhua's team in Science showed that they not only found the "gene nemesis" that can fight against rice plague for a long time, but also clarified how it was "carried out" with the rice plague.

At this point, He Zuhua has been deeply cultivated in Pigm gene and its anti -plague.

"He Zuhua is a pure scientist who has done one thing to the end and the extreme." After completing this study, Han Bin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Molecular Education Innovation Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented.

In 2021, He Zuhua's team also published important results in "Cell" and "Nature", which not only revealed a new broad -spectrum immune metabolic regulatory network, but also clarified how it integrates basic disease resistance and specialization resistance, thereby The immune metabolic regulatory pathway given to the broad -spectrum of plant broad -spectrum, and it is always easy to infect different diseases from crops in the field. This long -term problem of different diseases has carried out innovative research. And new breeding targets with multi -disease raw bacteria. Compared with publishing papers, He Zuhua attaches more emphasis on the promotion and application of research results. He often said, "We serve breeding scholars, and the truly effective work is that these studies can be applied."

At present, the research results of He Zuhua's team have been applied to breeders, and the cumulative promotion of more than 35 million acres has basically achieved a long -spectrum resistance of rice plague and reduced the application of pesticides and achieved huge economic and social benefits.

Pass work habits and spirit

Early rice began in mid -April of Shanghai every year, and a single -season rice is planted in mid -June. The late rice is sown in mid -July. In the meantime, He Zuhua often appeared in the pilot field of Songjiang and worked like local farmers. In the winter of Hainan in the winter, He Zuhua also often led the scorching sun above the students to investigate the selection.

The difference is that farmers are sowing in large areas, and pair of seedlings one by one. Researchers are one -grain of seeds, one plant, "because several mixing together is not easy to compare, it is not conducive to discovering special traits and not conducive to estimation."

The members of He Zuhua's team, whether they are men or women, whether they are from urban or rural areas, everyone is familiar with the process of rice from planting to collection. When the rice is inserted, the rice fields are all mud. If it is not good at mastering, it is difficult to pull out the mud in the mud. Every time he brings a freshman to the field, He Zuhua will demonstrate himself, starting from the details, laid solid basic skills, and develops good work habits.

Every year, the first question of He Zuhua is "Do you really like agricultural studies and really like crops."

"If you just want to get a diploma, there is no need to come here. Because it is really hard to do crop research, and time is long." He Zuhua said.

In the laboratory of He Zuhua, in addition to the cutting -edge studies of molecular biology, graduate students must also learn how to conduct disease research and master the knowledge about plant protection. In addition to planting rice, you also need to understand microorganisms, which can be cultivated, vaccinated and analyzed for pathogenic bacteria.

"It is necessary to learn farmers and farmers. This is the basic requirement." He Zuhua said, "When my mentor was in his 80s, he planted rice on the top of the building and climbed to the top of the building to make a hybrid. Perseverance, I must benefit me for a long time to do one thing. I hope to pass on the spirit of the scientists of my predecessors. "

"China Science News" (2022-06-23 The first edition of the original title "He Zuhua: One-kick, rice field, one-foot")

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