Development ‘Tongil Rice’ with higher productivity and contributed achievement of main grain self-supply in the 1970s
Studied origin and propagation path of Northeast Asia rice and validated the theory of Korea Peninsular origination of Japanese rice
(Late) Heu Mun-hue
Honorary Professor, Seoul National University (1927~2010)
- Academic background
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1948 ∼ 1954
Bachelor of Agriculture, Seoul National University
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1954 ∼ 1957
Master of Agriculture, Seoul National University
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1957 ∼ 1968
Doctor of Agriculture, Seoul National University
- Professional career
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1957 ∼ 1960
Researcher, Agricultural Division, Test Bureau, Agricultural Institute
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1960 ∼ 1992
Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University
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1985 ∼ 1987
Head of Agricultural Development Institute, Seoul National University
- Awards
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1977
Silver Top Order of Industrial Service Merit
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1987
Seonggok Foundation Academic Award
Breeding scientist who contributed materialization of rice self-supply by developing ‘Tongil Rice’
Professor Mun Hue Heu is the developer of ‘Tongil Rice’ which makes Korea escape from the long-lasting history of hunger and poverty.
He initiated a breeding study of ‘Tongil Rice’ during working at IRRI in 1962 and completed the strain in 1971. In order to accomplish self-supply of main grain, rice, he studied properties of descendants obtained by hybridization of Indica and Japonica, selected superior advantages with 3-way breeding, and fixed them to ‘Tongil Rice.’ Then he produced it at high speed by propagating 2 generations per year under cooperation with IRRI. Following that, he produced ‘Tongil Glutinous Rice’ with cross-breeding through microscopic observation of pollen.
Tongil Rice has shorter length, thicker stem, bigger ear, and more straight leaves to contain higher efficient of sunlight and better productivity. It is evaluated as the rice with the highest productivity in the world, including the production of more rice by 30% than Japonica. He developed also a breeding method that removes poor properties of wild rice and transfers only excellent properties to cultivated rice in order to solve the starch properties problematic to the quality breeding.
With a supply of the ‘Tongil Rice’ through RDA from 1972, the yield was increased by more than 30% than the old strain and exceeded 30 million bags of rice 2 years after. In 1976, it accomplished self-supply of main grain for the first time and recorded global best productivity, producing 47.1 million bags of rice when the coverage of Tongil rice cultivation exceeded the half in next year. The success of ‘Tongil Rice’ encouraged greatly the breeders and contributed greatly to the development of breeding techniques and improvement of strain quality.
Developed ‘Tongil Rice’ with 3-way cross-breeding technique to mix 3 species and achieved self-supply of main grain with the world best productivity
He devoted himself to study on origin and propagation path of Northeast Asia rice. In order to correct the history of rice cultivation in Northeast Asia, he investigated the propagating route of rice and published articles based on the carbonized rice, visiting archeological fields in Korea and China. For the rice propagation to Japan, he persuaded on the basis of evidence of Korea Peninsula Origination and corrected the error of Japanese scientists. The propagation route presented by connecting archeology and crop science of rice is acknowledged as an established theory.
He made great contribution to developing crop breeding technologies and published 210 articles including breeding study on pest and cold-resistant rice, breeding study on ingredients to high-protein and quality improvement of rice, study on breeding technique using excellence appeared in the first generation of hybrid, study on rice growing well in salty soil for rice cultivation in the reclaimed land. In order to solve starch properties problematic in quality breeding, he developed also the wx-Carrier technique to transfer only good properties, removing bad properties of wild rice.
He served as the chairman of the Korean Crop Society, the chairman of the Korean Society of Breeding Science, and standing director of SABPAO, IRGC.