Yuan Longping, a Chinese scientist who developed higher-yield rice varieties, died Saturday at a hospital in the southern city of Changsha, the Xinhua News agency reported. He was 91. Yuan spent his life researching rice. In the 1970s, Yuan developed a hybrid strain of rice that recorded an annual yield 20 percent higher than existing…

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Yuan Longping, a Chinese scientist who developed higher-yield rice varieties that helped feed China’s people, died Saturday at a hospital in the southern city of Changsha, the Xinhua News agency reported. He was 91. Yuan spent his life researching rice and was nicknamed “Father of Hybrid Rice” by Chinese media. Worldwide, a fifth of…