This group of "rice geeks" spent eight years developing "magic" rice

There is a rice cooker on the desk

Convenient to observe new rice products at any time

Passion for rice research

Know all kinds of rice varieties

…

In the office of Wu Dianxing, who is known as a "Mi fanatic"

There is a kind of functional rice that is particularly eye-catching

Looks no different from regular rice

It can delay the rise of blood sugar after meals

It is Wu Dianxing and his team

After 8 years of scientific research

Cultivated rice varieties with high resistant starch

It has a nice name - "Yitangmi"

| High Resistant Starch Rice

Rooted in the land and carrying out scientific research

As early as the end of the last century, the discovery of the structure and efficacy of resistant starch aroused great interest. Resistant starch is not easily digested and absorbed in the small intestine, and will not be immediately converted into glucose and enter the blood circulation. Therefore, rice varieties with high resistant starch have the effects of stabilizing blood sugar and lowering blood lipids, which is very friendly to diabetic patients.

However, the content of resistant starch in ordinary high-quality rice is generally below 0.5%, far from the ideal effect.

| Wu Dianxing (second from right) is showing high-resistant starch rice

In the late autumn of 1998, when Wu Dianxing was conducting starch structure determination of rice varieties, he discovered a local rice germplasm grown in Jinhua Wucheng District among more than 2,000 variety resources. Its resistant starch content reached 3%, far exceeding that of ordinary varieties. This provided an important opportunity for subsequent research.

After finding the "material" with excellent traits, Wu Dianxing immediately brought his team to Hainan, more than 2,000 kilometers away.

"In winter, the rice fields in the south of Hainan Island are a natural greenhouse, where rice can be artificially bred three times a year," Wu Dianxing recalled. "From here, we worked with other experts and student teams to carry out technical research for nearly 10 years."

In the experimental field of the base, Wu Dianxing and his team members planted seeds one by one, transplanted and harvested plants one by one, and cultivated experimental samples down to earth. "Many agricultural studies are long-term, and we need to discover new things through day-to-day practice."

| Wu Dianxing (second from right) and several agricultural experts went through numerous tests, optimizations and trials at the Hainan Lingshui breeding base. The team finally achieved a breakthrough in 2006 - successfully creating the world's first new rice germplasm with a resistant starch content of about 10%. "There is no precedent in the world, and we have no reference data," said Wu Dianxing.

What does a 10% content mean?

The special starch structure of Yitang rice has a good embedding effect on ordinary starch, which is similar to the process of slow-release capsules slowly releasing drugs, and can significantly delay the digestion, release and absorption of sugar in the whole rice grain. "Eating will no longer bring physical and mental anxiety caused by high blood sugar," Wu Dianxing said with emotion.

New high-resistant starch rice variety "Zhejiang University Liangyouyi Tangxian No. 1"

Pass on the spirit of agronomy

The breeding of high-resistant starch rice has been listed as a national high-tech industrialization demonstration project for biological breeding by the National Development and Reform Commission. To this day, Wu Dianxing and his team have not stopped their efforts.

| Wu Dianxing explains to students in the rice fields

Wu Dianxing led a team of students to conduct systematic research on topics such as the physicochemical, digestive and nutritional characteristics of high-resistant starch rice varieties. They went into the fields, paid attention to the farmers, and combined with the latest market needs, conducted theoretical research based on practical applications, and then used new theoretical results to guide practical applications.

This year, the team successfully created and bred 12 rice germplasms with ultra-high resistant starch content, and developed three varieties of baked and cooked rice flour with resistant starch content of more than 30%, with the highest reaching 43.6%. At the same time, in order to meet more diverse consumer requirements, Yitang rice continues to develop towards japonica rice, intermediate types between indica and japonica, and high-quality products. The taste issues that consumers are concerned about have been significantly improved in the recently launched fifth-generation Yitang rice.

"A good functional rice variety should not only have high yield, but also take into account the efficacy, nutrition and taste of rice after it is made." Wu Dianxing said, "By building a science and technology courtyard model, we can closely connect and interact the students' theoretical knowledge with the actual needs of enterprises, and students from different academic backgrounds can join in. In the cross-complementary research, our team continues to innovate and iterate, striving to make this bowl of rice more and more delicious and nutritious."

According to Wu Dianxing, the team has effectively extended the same technical principle to a series of other starchy staple crops such as wheat, corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. In the future, people will have more choices in the variety and type of low-GI staple foods.

| Weed removal in high resistant starch rice seed production fields

Ten thousand years ago, the ancestors living in Zhejiang used their wisdom to domesticate wild rice into cultivated rice, giving birth to the first rice seed of human civilization.

Today, generations of agricultural scientists represented by Wu Dianxing uphold the spirit of truth-seeking and innovation, continue to strive, and use advanced technology to make rice more productive, stronger, and healthier. They write their research results on the land of the motherland and bring them to the people's tables , stimulating greater potential in each grain of rice and demonstrating Zhejiang University's patriotism and sense of mission.

(Source: Zhejiang University, Chao News)