Rare rice stages a comeback in North China
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="indigenous">indigenous</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="species">species</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="extinct">extinct</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1970<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="revived">revived</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hebei">Hebei</span> <span word="province">province</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="variety">variety</span>, <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="kermes">kermes</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="color">color</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dyestuff">dyestuff</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="name">name</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 300 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="offered">offered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="imperial">imperial</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tribute">tribute</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Qing">Qing</span> <span word="Dynasty">Dynasty</span> (1644-1911).</p><p>"<span word="It">It</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="easy">easy</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 5 <span word="hectares">hectares</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="handful">handful</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="about">about</span> 300 <span word="seeds">seeds</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="Li">Li</span> <span word="Ming">Ming</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Tangshan">Tangshan</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Zheng">Zheng</span> <span word="Hehai">Hehai</span>, <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Tangshan">Tangshan</span> <span word="Daoxiang">Daoxiang</span> <span word="Rice">Rice</span> <span word="Co">Co</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1970<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="kermes">kermes</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="yield">yield</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="planting">planting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="banned">banned</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Hebei">Hebei</span> <span word="government">government</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="Li">Li</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="secretly">secretly</span> <span word="hid">hid</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="home">home</span>. <span word="In">In</span> 1984, <span word="Li">Li</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sowed">sowed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="dozen">dozen</span> <span word="seeds">seeds</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="remained">remained</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="harvest">harvest</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seed">seed</span> <span word="source">source</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="crops">crops</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="kermes">kermes</span> <span word="rice">rice</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> 140,000 <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="varieties">varieties</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="kermes">kermes</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="indigenous">indigenous</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eastern">eastern</span> <span word="Hebei">Hebei</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="is">is</span> 30 <span word="cm">cm</span> <span word="taller">taller</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="vulnerable">vulnerable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stalk">stalk</span>-<span word="leaning">leaning</span>. <span word="Its">Its</span> <span word="output">output</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> 1,350 <span word="kg">kg</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="hectare">hectare</span>, <span word="compared">compared</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 6,000 <span word="kg">kg</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="varieties">varieties</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rice">rice</span>, <span word="Zheng">Zheng</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="changed">changed</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="rice">rice</span> <span word="caught">caught</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Rice">Rice</span> <span word="Research">Research</span> <span word="Institute">Institute</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Hebei">Hebei</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Forestry">Forestry</span> <span word="Academy">Academy</span>.</p><p><span word="Improved">Improved</span> <span word="kermes">kermes</span> <span word="rice">rice</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="planted">planted</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Zheng">Zheng</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="farm">farm</span>, <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="shorter">shorter</span>, 120 <span word="cm">cm</span> <span word="to">to</span> 150 <span word="cm">cm</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="extended">extended</span> <span word="by">by</span> 15 <span word="days">days</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="economical">economical</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="farm">farm</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="maintaining">maintaining</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="taste">taste</span>.</p>
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