Li Zhengyou (; July 1935 – 4 April 2018) was a Chinese

agronomist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the ...

and politician. A professor of Yunnan Agricultural University, he created the Dian-type

hybrid rice Hybrid rice is a type of Asian rice that has been crossbred from two very different parent varieties. As with other types of hybrids, hybrid rice typically displays heterosis or "hybrid vigor", so when grown under the same conditions as comparable ...

and was called the "father of high-altitude hybrid rice". He served as Vice-Governor of

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

Province from 1983 to 1988, and Chairman of the Yunnan Science and Technology Society.

Biography

Li Zhengyou was born in Chongqing in July 1935, with his

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

Gao County Gao County or Gaoxian () is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Yibin city and has a population of 526,400 in 2019, 171,000 of which live in the urban area. The county seat is located 48 km from Yibin city. T ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

Province. He studied at Southwest Agricultural University (now part of

Southwest University Southwest University (SWU, ) is a comprehensive university in Chongqing, China. It is a Chinese state Double First Class University Plan university. Overview Southwest University (SWU) is a comprehensive university sponsored by the Ministry o ...

) from 1956 to 1960, and joined the faculty of Yunnan Agricultural University in August 1961. Starting as a lecturer, he later became a professor and director of the university's Rice Research Institute. Li created the Dian (or Yunnan)-type hybrid rice, and was a pioneer in the research of high-altitude hybrid rice. His research resulted in substantial increases in rice yields in the plateau province of Yunnan, raising farmer incomes. Consequently, he was awarded the State Natural Science Award in 1978 and the Fifth

Yuan Longping Yuan Longping (; September 7, 1930May 22, 2021) was a Chinese agronomist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s, part of the Green Revolution in agriculture. For his ...

Prize in Agricultural Sciences. He was also named a

model worker Model worker (, abbreviated as 劳模 or ''láomó'') refers to an exemplary worker who exhibits some or all of the traits appropriate to the ideal of the socialism. Exemplary worker come from various sectors of the Chinese economy, including the i ...

of Yunnan in 1983. His research is published in the book ''Dian-type Hybrid Rice'' (滇型杂交水稻). From April 1983 to April 1988, he served as Vice-Governor of

Province and Chairman of the Yunnan Science and Technology Society. He joined the China Zhi Gong Party in May 1991, and served as a member of the 10th and 11th Central Committees of the party. He was a member of the

6th National People's Congress The 6th National People's Congress () was in session from 1983 to 1988. It held five sessions in this period. Elections to the Congress This new Congress was the first under the current 1982 Constitution, and the first to be elected under the r ...

, and a member of the 8th, 9th, and 10th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He served on the Standing Committee of the 9th CPPCC. Li retired in June 2009. He died on 4 April 2018 in Kunming, at the age of 82.

wrote a eulogy praising his contributions to rice research.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Zhengyou 1935 births 2018 deaths Chinese agronomists Scientists from Chongqing Vice-governors of Yunnan People's Republic of China politicians from Chongqing Southwest University alumni China Zhi Gong Party politicians Rice production Delegates to the 6th National People's Congress