Dr. Chuanchai Pongsai works at the maize field. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By LONG Yun & BI Weizi

On November 9, 2001, Chuanchai Pongsai left his hometown of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and arrived in China's Yunnan province for further study. At that time, he envisioned more high-quality maize seeds being available in Yunnan province, in order to boost the crop yields.

Vision becomes reality

Some 22 years later, as the Senior Vice President of Yunnan Chiatai Seed Company, Chuanchai and his team have made remarkable progress in promoting the development of Yunnan's seed industry. They developed hybrid maize seeds that are well-suited to the local environment, significantly boosting maize yields.

"Yunnan used to rely on northern seeds for maize cultivation, but the mismatch with the local soil and climate led to lower-quality maize production," Chuanchai said in a recent interview with S&T Daily. "Yunnan boasts a complex and diverse ecosystem, which presents both opportunities and difficulties for our work," he said.

In his daily work, Chuanchai walks through the maize fields at the research base, observing the changes of each seed in the soil. Almost every day, he monitors and guides technicians in planting work, with the aim of finding the most suitable combination of maize genes. It is a laborious and repetitive task, but as he said, "This is where my passion lies."

As time passed, his team gained some success from their hard work. Over 30 maize varieties emerged in the research base and thrived in this region.

According to Chuanchai, maize seed development is a combination of science and technology, art, and luck. He further explained that the technology is essential, but selecting the right combination of maize genes is an art, requiring imagination and creativity. And a bit of luck is necessary for combining these elements to develop high-quality, high-yielding maize varieties.

Quality breeding is very important

The Thai maize expert attaches great importance to high quality breeding. "High quality breeding is a key factor in achieving agricultural productivity, sustainable development of agriculture, and resilience to extreme weather," said Chuanchai.

In 2005, Chuanchai pursued a PhD at Yunnan Agricultural University, majoring in crop genetics and breeding. This educational background laid the foundation for his subsequent work. With his Chinese colleagues, Chuanchai dedicated himself to seed development. Their "Zhengda 619", a high-quality maize variety, received the honor of "National Outstanding Contribution to Maize Inbred Lines." This achievement not only significantly increased local maize yields, but also encouraged more experts to adopt this new breeding model, furthering research and selecting new high-quality varieties, offering more possibilities for upgrading maize seeds and advancing the maize seed industry.

Chuanchai's goal is to develop new varieties continually. With the environment and climate constantly changing, maize seeds need to be upgraded to adapt to these changes. Otherwise, old varieties that are not suited to the environment will lead to decreased yields, affecting farmers' incomes and even threatening local food security.

After achieving success in low-altitude maize seed development, Chuanchai and his team continued to push the envelope. They continued to establish new research bases in areas like Xuanwei city and Huize city in Yunnan, expanding their research into mid-to-high altitude maize seed development.

Chuanchai has left his footprint across 15 different regions in Yunnan for 22 years. He often collaborates with local farmers, helping them select the right seeds for their specific soil and climate conditions. His primary concern when visiting these areas is whether the seeds he recommends lead to increased yields and higher incomes for the farmers.

A journey never ends

He feels a deep connection to Yunnan. "I love Yunnan, and I am a son-in-law of Yunnan," said Chuanchai, adding that he no longer feels like an outsider. Today, he can fluently communicate his research findings in Chinese and even have conversations with the local people in the Dai ethnic dialect.

To Chuanchai, the world's land resources are finite. He remains dedicated to improving the quality and yield of food crops on this limited land in Yunnan, providing more solutions for increased productivity and income for farmers.

The Lancang River flows through Yunnan, and it eventually becomes the Mekong River in Thailand. "China and Thailand are like one family," said Chuanchai, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to play a crucial role in promoting technological cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.