A major breakthrough in hybrid rice breeding has been achieved by a Chinese research team, led by Wang Kejian at the China National Rice Research Institute. The team developed a one-line hybrid rice, named "Yixi No. 1," that achieves a cloning efficiency stably above 99% while setting seed normally. The findings were published on July 21 in the international academic journal Vita. The research, which began in 2013, aimed to use apomixis to produce clonal seed that locks in hybrid vigor, allowing a single cross to be used generation after generation. The team initially built the first apomixis system in hybrid rice in 2017, but cloning efficiency was only about 5% and seed-setting rates dropped sharply. After several more years of work, the team identified an endogenous rice gene named HUAXU. Ectopic expression of HUAXU in hybrid rice egg cells efficiently induced parthenogenesis and produced haploid offspring. Combined with a clonal gamete strategy, the resulting apomictic lines reached close to 100% cloning efficiency, holding stably above 99% across multiple hybrid rice varieties, generations, planting populations, and large field populations, with yields at normal levels. Wang stated that this achievement could fundamentally change the traditional model of hybrid rice production, which requires fresh seed every year, and provide new technological support for global food security. However, he noted that many challenges remain in moving from the experimental field to widespread application. The team's next steps include safety testing, stability evaluation, and further refinement of the technology.