China's rice cloning breakthrough could boost global food security

July 27, 2026 (MLN): Chinese researchers have developed a breakthrough technology that enables hybrid rice to reproduce through cloning, a development that could reshape traditional seed production and strengthen global food security.

The research team, led by Wang Kejian at the China National Rice Research Institute, identified a naturally occurring rice gene named HUAXU that enables egg cells in hybrid rice to trigger parthenogenesis a form of reproduction in which seeds develop without fertilization. The findings were published in the scientific journal Vita.

By combining the HUAXU gene with a cloned gamete technique, the researchers produced multiple apomictic rice lines capable of generating seeds that are almost genetically identical to the parent plant.

The cloning success rate reached nearly 100%, while field trials across different rice varieties, growing conditions, and successive generations consistently recorded efficiencies above 99% without compromising crop yields, as reported by APP.

The achievement marks a significant milestone toward the development of a "one-line hybrid rice" system, which aims to preserve the advantages of hybrid crops across generations.

Under current two-line and three-line hybrid rice breeding systems, the genetic benefits of hybrid vigor diminish in subsequent generations because of genetic segregation. As a result, farmers must purchase newly produced hybrid seeds every year.

The newly developed one-line approach seeks to overcome this limitation by enabling hybrid rice plants to produce clonal seeds through apomixis, allowing the desirable characteristics of the original hybrid to be retained indefinitely.

In principle, a single hybridization event could provide seeds for continuous cultivation without the need for annual hybrid seed production.

According to Wang, the breakthrough addresses one of the most persistent challenges in crop breeding by making it possible to permanently preserve hybrid vigor through seeds, paving the way for lower seed production costs, improved agricultural efficiency, and enhanced long-term food security.

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