Agricultural expert devotes more than 60 years of his life to developing new wheat varieties

Zhao Yu, an 87-year-old wheat breeding expert, has been devoted himself to breeding wheat varieties for more than 60 years.

Zhao Yu (2nd L) checks on the growth status of planted wheat. (Photo/Shi Liangqi)

File photo shows Zhao Yu (3rd R) introducing some wheat breeding experimental scenarios to agricultural technicians in 1975.

Over the past years, Zhao, a researcher with the Yangling Vocational and Technical College in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, has successfully bred nine new and improved wheat varieties. This series of wheat varieties has been used for growing wheat on more than 80 million mu (about 5.3 million hectares) of farmland across the country, helping growers increase their incomes by more than 5 billion yuan (about $784.5 million).

Born in a mountain village in Yongdeng county, northwest China’s Gansu Province in 1935, Zhao became well aware of the hardships that farmers faced from a young age and decided to study agricultural sciences to help them. After taking the national college entrance exam, he was eventually admitted into Beijing Agricultural University (now China Agricultural University) in Beijing.

He had an opportunity to be a teacher at the university after his graduation in 1959, but chose instead to work at the Shaanxi Wugong Agricultural School (now Yangling Vocational and Technical College) to focus on wheat breeding and work in the fields.

In 1961, Zhao started his breeding work from scratch at the school, which was ill-equipped for conducting research into wheat breeding. To develop drought- and disease-resistant wheat varieties as well as those able to grow in areas with low soil fertility and cold temperatures, he tested nine hybrid wheat varieties.

When a farm was allocated as an experimental field to the school in 1965, Zhao led his students to the farm to begin conducting wheat breeding. Due to harsh conditions and a lack of research facilities, many teachers and students eventually left the farm. Zhao, however, continued his research there. “The farm is in a flat area and has good soil. It’s an ideal place for wheat breeding, so I was determined to take up roots here,” the expert said.

His hard work has since paid off. In 1970, the Wunong 132, a wheat variety developed by Zhao was massively planted on the farm. He then successfully developed the Wunong 99, Wunong 133, and Wunong 148 wheat varieties.

These high-quality wheat varieties have been well received by farmers. Li Suiding, a farmer in Liangma village, Wugong county, Shaanxi Province, is a big fan of Zhao and has grown all the wheat varieties developed by the expert.

“After planting the Wunong wheat variety series, my income increased every year. Now, most of my fellow villagers plant the Wunong wheat variety series,” Li said.

After retiring in 1996, Zhao continued to focus on wheat breeding. Another five new and improved wheat varieties developed by him have since been approved by the authorities.

Zhao’s work has formed an important part of China’s efforts to strengthen its food security. The expert said cultivating more talents in wheat breeding is one way to ensure food security in the country.

Therefore, Zhao has also attached great importance to cultivating young talents. He has passed on his experience to young teachers without any reservation. He has always patiently instructed any teachers and students who conduct research at the experimental field and guided them to observe and monitor the growth of wheat there.

To better support wheat breeding, the Yangling Vocational and Technical College set up a breeding center for dryland crops (wheat) under the name of Zhao and formed a breeding team with PhD students and backbone research-oriented teachers as its mainstay in 2021, according to Wang Zhousuo, president of the college.