On April 23, an on-site meeting regarding the large-scale integration model for yield increasing technology in multi-cropping oilseed rape across China, as well as the promotion of key initiatives by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences reported a significant advancement in rapeseed yield achieved by 'Zhongyouzao No.1'.  This elite cultivar was developed by the team led by academician Hanzhong Wang, and for the "rice-rice-oil" three-cropping system located in Suichuan and Jiangxi Province. According to an on-site evaluation conducted by the Jiangxi Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Center, the mechanized harvest yield was recorded at 177.65 kilograms per mu. This establishes a new record for single yield of oilseed rape within the "rice-rice-oil" three-cropping system in China.

This significant advancement addresses the longstanding issue of crop rotation in double-cropping rice regions of southern China. Traditional oilseed rape varieties require a growing period of up to 210 days, resulting in substantial winter fallow land. In contrast, 'Zhongyouzao No.1' matures in approximately 170 days, facilitating a systematic "rice-rice-oil" crop rotation in regions situated south of 27 degree north latitude. Compared to the control variety, for the yield of 'Zhongyouzao No.1' has increased by 6.46%, with an oil content reaching 44.37%. The oil yield per mu was also 15.61% higher than that of the control variety, successfully meeting the breeding objectives of early maturity, high yield, and elevated oil content. 'Zhongyouzao No.1' serves as the foundation for the implementation of advanced production techniques, including high-density precision sowing, scientific management of water and fertilizers, and the application of a "one promotion and four preventions" strategy. These innovations have led to significant yield improvements in small-scale production trials, 100-mu demonstration plots, and 1,000-mu demonstration fields over three consecutive years.

In March 2025, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers at Harvard University, which tracked 221,000 individuals for 33 years, revealed that substituting 10 grams of butter (animal oil) daily with an equivalent amount of vegetable oil could lead to a 17% reduction in mortality risk. Furthermore, the daily consumption of an additional 5 grams of low-erucic acid and low-glucosinolate rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and olive oil was correlated with a 15%, 6%, and 8% decrease in mortality risk, respectively. Notably, the cost of low-erucic acid and low-glucosinolate rapeseed oil is approximately one-third that of olive oil, yet its health benefits surpass those of olive oil. Currently, low-erucic acid and low-glucosinolate rapeseed oil constitutes only 20% of the total vegetable oil consumption in China. The promotion of 'Zhongyouzao No.1', a representative variety of low-erucic acid and low-glucosinolate rapeseed, is expected to significantly enhance the edible oil consumption patterns among Chinese consumers.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has included 'Zhongyouzao No.1' in the national directory of excellent crop varieties for 2025. Estimates indicate that the area of winter fallow land available for development in China, which includes regions suitable for double-cropping rice and late rice, could reach as much as 60 million mu. With a projected yield of 150 kilograms per mu and an oil content of 44%, this initiative could potentially enhance the annual production of high-quality rapeseed oil by 3.96 million tons. Consequently, China's edible oil self-sufficiency rate rise from 33.6% to 43%, effectively decreasing import reliance by 30% and significantly bolstering the security of the supply of edible vegetable oil in the country.