“Now, even so many countries in Africa are using our seeds.” Upon learning that Gansu Province’s seed export revenue had significantly increased in the first nine months of 2024, renowned corn breeding expert and Henan Agricultural University professor Chen Weicheng was overwhelmed with excitement. As he ran his fingers over a yellowed research notebook on his desk, he seemed to be transported back 37 years to the moment he first sowed golden corn seeds into the soil of Zhangye, Gansu Province.
Zhangye, historically a crucial hub on the Silk Road, has long been known as the “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall” and “Golden Zhangye.” Today, the “gold” in its name has taken on new meaning—golden corn seeds. As the country’s largest corn seed production base, one out of every two corn seeds in China comes from Zhangye.
The person behind this new “golden” reputation is Chen Weicheng. Since setting foot on this land in 1988, he has been deeply involved in developing the western corn seed industry.
Establishing China’s Western Seed Production Base
In the 1950s, under the leadership of Wu Shaokui, a pioneering corn geneticist and breeder as well as a professor at Henan Agricultural University, researchers at the university began work on corn germplasm innovation and new variety selection.
In 1956, Chen Weicheng graduated from Henan Agricultural College (now Henan Agricultural University) and stayed on as Wu Shaokui’s full-time research assistant.
During their first meeting, Wu asked Chen, “Fieldwork is tough, and there are no summer breaks. Are you willing to do it?”
“I can endure hardship, and I’m passionate about research,” Chen replied. From that moment, as one of Wu’s first students, he embarked on a lifelong mission to breed superior corn varieties.
In 1956, while working on a research project led by Wu Shaokui on off-season breeding of inbred corn lines, Chen helped develop the winter generation-acceleration technology in southern China. This innovative technique significantly shortened the breeding cycle, cutting the breeding time in half. The technology was later applied to other crop breeding efforts and is still in use today. In 1990, the research won first prize in Henan’s Science and Technology Progress Awards.
In the 1980s, corn seed production in Gansu and Henan faced low yields and inconsistent quality. Chen sought to solve this problem through technological innovation. At the time, he needed a parent breeding base to improve single-cross breeding technology. Upon learning of his needs, officials in Zhangye invited Chen’s team to conduct an assessment.
From that point forward, Chen continuously introduced breeding projects to the Hexi Corridor, establishing research and seed production bases and laying the foundation for Zhangye’s thriving seed industry.
After more than 30 years of development, corn seed production has become a pillar industry in Zhangye. In recognition of his contributions, the Zhangye Municipal Government awarded Chen Weicheng the title of “Pioneer of the Western Seed Production Base.”
Producing Yuyu 22 Using Male-Sterile Lines
In the early 1990s, the Ministry of Agriculture conducted a national inspection of hybrid corn seed purity. The results were concerning: in 1993, only 9.8% of 51 samples from Henan met purity standards, and in 1994, none of the 88 samples tested met the national purity requirements.
The primary reason for the low purity was incomplete or untimely detasseling, which led to self-pollinated plants mixing into hybrid seed fields.
“This issue can be resolved by using male-sterile lines for seed production,” Chen recalled. Beginning in 1993, his team collaborated with various institutions to promote sterile seed production technology. They also combined this technology with improved single-cross techniques, yielding impressive results.
Chen then used male-sterile lines to develop the new variety “Yuyu 22.” By 2003, the sterile seed production area for “Yuyu 22” in Zhangye had reached 13,000 acres, supplying seeds for 2.5 million acres of farmland. In 2004, the “Yuyu 22” project won second prize in the National Science and Technology Progress Awards.
Beyond research, Chen also pioneered the commercialization of breeding achievements. He introduced China’s first “paid-use and selective authorization” operational model, granting production and sales licenses for “Yuyu 22” to four seed companies, thereby improving the efficiency of technology transfer.
Following its release, “Yuyu 22” quickly gained market acceptance. In 2001, it became the top-promoted variety in the Huang-Huai-Hai region and the second-largest promoted variety nationwide. By 2003, its cumulative planting area had reached 86 million acres.
Filling China’s Rice Bowl with More Henan Grain
Thanks to Chen Weicheng’s efforts, Zhangye’s corn seed production area has expanded from less than 30,000 acres in 1996 to 1.2 million acres today, with an annual output of 450 million kilograms of corn seeds—half of China’s annual demand.
“Corn is China’s most important grain crop, accounting for about 40% of the country’s total grain output. A single corn seed is directly tied to national food security,” Chen said. “I feel a constant sense of urgency and responsibility.”
After “Yuyu 22,” Chen developed another groundbreaking corn variety: “Weike 702.” With excellent disease resistance, strong lodging resistance, and high yield potential, this variety is highly adaptable. Since 2010, it has been approved in major corn-producing regions, including Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Hebei. In regional trials across the three main corn-producing areas—Huang-Huai-Hai, East Northeast, and Northwest—it consistently ranked first in yield. In 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture designated it a key recommended variety.
Beyond “Weike 702” and “Yuyu 22,” Chen has developed more than 20 high-quality corn varieties suited to different ecological zones over his 70-year research career. His groundbreaking research on off-season breeding of inbred corn lines has played a crucial role in advancing China’s seed industry.
Despite his advanced age, Chen remains dedicated to his work.
In 2024, Henan’s grain output reached 134.39 billion jin (67.2 million tons), while China’s total grain output surpassed 1.4 trillion jin (700 million tons) for the first time. Upon hearing this news, Chen was deeply moved.
“As long as I can still walk, I will never leave the fields. My greatest wish is to ensure that China’s rice bowl is always filled with Chinese grain.”
