On June 4th, during a national rapeseed high-yield cultivation promotion event held at Xincao Farm in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province, the Jiangsu Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Station convened experts to conduct on-site evaluation and acceptance process. The new rapeseed variety 'Zhongyouza 501' achieved an average yield of 377.68 kilograms per mu across 200 mu of continuous planting, utilizing a single mechanical harvest. This accomplishment establishes a new benchmark for mechanical harvest yield of winter rapeseed on a hundred-mu scale in China, signifying a notable advancement in the scientific and technological research within the country's rapeseed industry.

Prof. Dun Xiaoling from the innovation team of rapeseed genetic improvement in OCRI-CAAS introduced that 'Zhongyouza 501' was developed by the team led by academician Hanzhong Wang after a decade of research. 'Zhongyouza 501' is the only major achievement in the rapeseed field of China's biological breeding project. 'Zhongyouza 501' is characterized by its tolerance to high density, elevated yield, high oil content, and resistance to various stresses, including cold, drought, salinity, and diseases. A high-yield demonstration plot at Xincao Farm in Dongtai, Jiangsu Province, focused on 'Zhongyouza 501', where high-density, high-yield cultivation techniques were integrated and applied. By employing precise sowing methods, optimizing water and fertilizer management, and implementing environmentally friendly pest control strategies, the full potential of this variety was realized, thereby offering a replicable technical model for enhancing rapeseed yield on a large scale.

Prof. Dun Xiaoling has introduced that 'Zhongyouza 501' exhibits exceptional tolerance to drought and saline-alkali conditions. In the moderately saline-alkali regions of Pucheng, Shanxi Province, a yield of 312.23 kilograms per mu was achieved through mechanical harvest, establishing a new record for rapeseed production in such environments. During the extreme climatic conditions characterized by approximately 80% reduced precipitation from winter 2024 to spring 2025 in Shanxi, the yield of 'Zhongyouza 501' was double the local average. Furthermore, the cultivation of 'Zhongyouza 501' resulted in a decrease in soil salinity, with the salt content falling to approximately 3.2‰, representing a 20% reduction compared to adjacent fallow land. This finding reflects a successful dual achievement of enhancing saline-alkali land quality while simultaneously attaining high yield.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has officially recognized 'Zhongyouza 501' as a national leading variety for the year 2024 and has included it in the national directory of excellent crop varieties for 2025. Beginning with the autumn sowing of 2024, a technical model characterized by "double density and double high" centered on 'Zhongyouza 501' has been implemented across more than 2 million mu in the Yangtze River Basin. Following the summer harvest of the current year, 'Zhongyouza 501' has demonstrated exceptional performance in high-yield rapeseed competitions held in Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan, and other regions, demonstrating the high-yield potential of the leading variety promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as well as the significant impact of the associated high-density planting technology. Such advancements provided robust technological support for the large-scale increase of rapeseed yield, thereby enhancing the self-sufficiency rate of oil, boosting farmers' incomes, and improving overall industry efficiency.