BREEDING GAINS

‘Ahard job that involves risk taking.” That’s how Li Hui described his profession, a description that brings to mind the image of a police officer. But he’s not an officer; he’s a researcher. Working in the seed industry for years, he said the long life cycle of seed development makes the job a tough one indeed.

By “risk taking” he refers to the uncertainties of success in the industry. “Unlike the production of industrial products, seed breeding is rife with uncertainties and success requires experience and luck,” Li, a. “Many professors fail to cultivate a fine variety even throughout their life.”