In every grain of rice lies a village, and in every fragrant rice, a community thrives. "Our research achievements must first serve the nation's food security," stated Academician Wan Jianmin, leading a team that pioneered the promotion of high-quality aromatic rice varieties like "Ning Fragrant Indica 9," establishing a new promotion model closely integrating breeding, cultivation, procurement, processing, and sales along the entire industry chain.
Recently, Jiangsu Provincial Seed Management Station, Jiangsu Agricultural Technology Extension Station, and Nanjing Agricultural University jointly convened a training session on the industrialization of high-quality aromatic indica rice. Discussions revolved around enhancing complementary technologies for higher quality and efficiency, intensifying the demonstration and promotion efforts of this variety, and branding initiatives.
Setting a Benchmark for the Rice Capital in the New Era
According to reports, "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" boasts early maturity, superior grain quality, appealing appearance, rich aroma, and a soft, sticky, and sweet taste, winning consecutive gold awards for taste quality at the 3rd and 4th National Quality Rice Variety Taste Evaluation (Indica Rice). Initially approved in Jiangsu Province in 2020, it has since been introduced in Guizhou, Anhui, Shanghai, Hubei, and other regions. In 2023, it was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a super rice variety, listed in the National Crop Excellent Variety Promotion Catalog, and designated as a leading variety in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. In 2024, it was selected as a leading variety in Guizhou Province.
In recent years, "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" has gained favor among growers and recognition from processing enterprises for its high yield and quality. Its aromatic and glutinous characteristics have made it a favorite among consumers.
Rice is Jiangsu's largest cereal crop, with a planting area of around 33 million mu annually and a total production of 38 billion catties. Its yield has consistently ranked among the top in the nation, with the province achieving a record-breaking rice yield of over 600 kilograms per mu in 2023, marking a new milestone in production.
To further propel the high-quality development of Jiangsu's rice industry, in 2022, Wan Jianmin's team spearheaded the implementation of the "Major Variety Major Technology Synergistic Promotion Plan for High-Quality Rice," forming a technical system and standardized large-scale production centered around the major variety "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" and the major technology of machine-transplanted rice with one-time fertilization.
During the training session, Professor Li Ganghua from Nanjing Agricultural University's rice cultivation team delivered a presentation on techniques for enhancing the coordination between quantity and quality of "Ning Fragrant Indica 9." He emphasized six key technical points tailored to the variety's growth characteristics, aiming to achieve a coordinated improvement in both yield and quality.
Wu Jianhua, Deputy Inspector of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stated that "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" has pioneered a replicable and scalable integrated development model for the rice industry chain, which will contribute to the high-quality development of the province's rice industry and serve as a successful model for the rice capital in the new era.
Intensifying Promotion Around Industrialization's Key Challenges
"Good varieties are bred, but great varieties are propelled," remarked Ding Yanfeng, Vice President of Nanjing Agricultural University. After decades of effort by Wan Jianmin's team, the high-yielding, high-quality, and efficient new variety "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" was cultivated. Going forward, with support from relevant government policies, concerted efforts from agricultural technology extension departments, seed industry systems, and leading agricultural enterprises, the goal is to promote the synergy of high yield and quality throughout the entire industry chain, truly unlocking the production potential of superior varieties and contributing to the forefront of Jiangsu's agricultural modernization.
Shen Yi, Inspector of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Wang Jijun, Chief Agronomist of the National Agricultural Technology Service Center, along with other expert leaders, proposed suggestions for intensifying the promotion of "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" around the key challenges of industrializing high-quality aromatic indica rice.
Experts advocated for precise variety positioning, adapting to local conditions, selecting excellent varieties suitable for local cultivation, promoting complementary technologies for good seeds and good practices to enhance mechanization levels, integrating agricultural machinery and agronomy. They stressed the importance of scientific publicity and promotion, highlighting product characteristics based on differentiation and conducting precise marketing. Furthermore, they emphasized the need for strengthened collaboration, fostering industry chain models of production, study, and research, promoting development through cooperation among upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, and continuously enhancing the competitiveness of the rice industry.
Representatives from seed stations, agricultural technology extension centers in Nantong, Dongtai, Jinhua, Nanjing, Suzhou, as well as experts and seed station representatives from Henan, Anhui, Guizhou, and sales personnel from enterprises such as Yihai Kerry and COFCO Rice shared experiences and achievements in the demonstration and promotion of "Ning Fragrant Indica 9" in Jiangsu, along the Yangtze River, and in Henan, Anhui, and Guizhou, reflecting its excellent characteristics of high yield, high quality, broad adaptability, and high nitrogen efficiency.
Wan Jianmin stated that the team would further focus on improving quality based on a certain level of production, adopting environmentally friendly cultivation methods, accelerating the cultivation of nitrogen-efficient and pest-resistant varieties, and developing functional varieties to meet the diverse needs of different consumer groups.
