Construction of the Sanya national wild rice germplasm resource nursery agricultural facility in South China's Hainan Province was recently completed.
Contracted by China Railway 16th Bureau Group Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, the facility is the main body of the world's largest wild rice germplasm resource nursery, and more than 40,000 wild rice seeds of 21 kinds from the world will be nurtured there.
A bird's-eye view of the Sanya national wild rice germplasm resource nursery agricultural facility in South China's Hainan Province [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Wild rice is an indispensable genetic resource for rice breeding and biotechnology research. Currently, all of the wild rice preservation facilities in China are built in subtropical or temperate regions, which cannot meet the needs of tropical wild rice conservation.
Home to rich and superior light and heat resources, Sanya has the most favorable climate conditions for growth and reproduction of all kinds of wild rice species worldwide.
What's more, with preferential policies in the Hainan Free Trade Port, the region is expected to realize convenient sharing and utilization of domestic and foreign wild rice germplasm resources.
Located in Yazhou District, Sanya, the national wild rice germplasm resource nursery covers an area of 168.21 mu, which includes 159.63 mu of preservation nursery and 8.58 mu of agricultural facilities for wild rice ex-situ preservation nursery.
The project involves two divisions: one for agricultural field engineering and the other for agricultural facilities construction.
Once operational, the resource nursery is expected to become an important scientific research platform for Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory and the world animal and plant resource introduction and transit base in Hainan.
It will be able to safely preserve 40,000 specimens of wild rice in China and identify and evaluate more than 1,000 annually while meeting the demands of wild rice resources preservation and rice industry development for the next 30 years.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
