China News Service, Zhengzhou, October 19th (Li Chaoqing, Sun Huimin) Henan Agricultural University reported on the 19th that after actual testing and acceptance by experts, the new corn variety YD268 selected by the team of Tang Jihua of the school was used in the 120-acre corn demonstration field in Chenjiazhuang, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, with a yield of 2,083.6 kilograms per mu.
This is the third consecutive year that this variety has been tested for yield, and the yield per mu has been stable at more than 2,000 kilograms. According to scientific researchers, in 2024, the high-yield research field in Hebi, Henan, produced 2,365.84 kilograms per mu; in 2025, Jinan, Shandong Province experienced more than 20 consecutive days of autumn rain and still achieved a yield of 2,177.2 kilograms per mu; in 2026, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province had low temperatures, low accumulated temperature, and rapid cooling in the later period, and still achieved a yield of 2,083.6 kilograms per mu.
As the leader of the expert team for this yield measurement, Huang Changling, a researcher at the Institute of Crop Science of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that judging from this year's field performance, YD268 has good population uniformity, high ear setting rate, and outstanding advantages in density and stress resistance under high-density planting conditions. It is a density-tolerant and high-yielding variety suitable for promotion in the Huang-Huai-Hai region. Li Weihua, a core member of the YD268 team, said that the production test plot has the same management model as the local ordinary fields. There is no additional investment in water, fertilizer and chemical control, and the level of tons of grain is still achieved despite the low accumulated temperature in the north of the Huanghuai River.
Yu Junling, a dealer who has participated in the production testing activities of this variety for two consecutive years, said that the climate and circumstances of the places where the production testing was carried out in the two years were different. "This variety has not disappointed once, and we have new confidence every year." Jia Guoliang, a farmer who is trying to plant 120 acres of YD268 for the first time, said that the corn cobs in the field are uniform in size. He basically manages it as usual. Next year, he plans to encourage the surrounding folks to plant it together. Han Jianjun, a grower in Handan, Hebei Province, said that YD268 has shorter plant height, even fruit ears, neat emergence, and ears on every tree. This variety will also be planted next year.
Excellent varieties are the confidence, and model innovation is the path. In 2024, Henan Agricultural University will explore the collaborative model of "scientific research units + seed industry enterprises + promotion channels". In the past three years, 4,810 demonstration sites have been built in Huanghuaihai, attracting a total of one million people. Zhao Cuiping, director of the Social Services Department of Henan Agricultural University, said that cooperation between science and technology enterprises is not a simple variety transfer, but a full-chain collaboration from breeding direction, demonstration sites to extension services.
“Three consecutive years of cross-regional field acceptance have not only verified the core advantages of YD268’s wide adaptability, high yield, stress resistance and stable yield, but also tested the school’s scientific research results in precision breeding and targeted training.” Jia Lei, member of the Party Committee of Henan Agricultural University and Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Agriculture, said that the school will continue to deepen cooperation between science and technology enterprises, promote the transformation of results, and lay a solid foundation for varieties for a new round of increasing grain production capacity of 100 billion kilograms.
It is reported that the new corn variety YD268 bred by Henan Agricultural University previously completed technology transfer for 26.8 million yuan, setting a record for the highest corn variety transfer fee in the domestic seed industry.
