Core Insights - China has made significant breakthroughs in breeding new high-yield rice varieties resistant to the rice planthopper, addressing the challenge of stable rice production [1] - The rice planthopper is identified as the primary pest in rice production in China, affecting over 300 million acres annually and causing a reduction of 3 billion pounds in rice yield [1] - The coverage rate of pest-resistant rice varieties in production is currently below 1% [1] Group 1: Research and Development - The breakthroughs were achieved with the support of the Agricultural Biotechnology Breeding Major Project, involving collaboration between Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co., Ltd. and leading domestic research teams [1] - A cooperative model of enterprise-science collaboration was established to innovate and apply molecular design breeding technology [1] - Key genes for resistance to the brown planthopper, rice blast disease, and nitrogen efficiency were precisely aggregated to develop new rice varieties [1] Group 2: New Varieties and Performance - New rice varieties such as "Wei Liang You 2268" and "Yang Xian You 4278" have been developed, showing significant resistance to the brown planthopper and rice blast disease [1] - Field trials indicate that these new varieties have increased yields by over 5% compared to control groups [1] - The "Wei Liang You 2268" variety achieved a record yield of 1,174.5 kg per mu in a demonstration plot in Hunan, setting a new high yield record for single-season rice in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River [1] Group 3: Future Implications - The new varieties have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 National Crop Variety Promotion Directory as candidate varieties [1] - The accelerated promotion and application of these new varieties are expected to inject strong momentum into achieving high and stable rice production across China [1]