The transgenic anti-herbicide hybrid rice variety, namely “Fragrant 125S/Bar68-1”, bred by the scientists of Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), has completed its regional trial of early rice in Hunan Province and the production test approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of China. 

The Rice Research Group of ISA proposed a new technical route in 1996. The new hybrid rice variety could be bred by introducing an anti-herbicide gene to hybrid rice restorer, endowing the herbicide resistance with hybrids from seed production, and removing the false hybrids through herbicide spraying. After more than 10 years of study, the genetically modified herbicide-resistant hybrid rice “Fragrant 125S/Bar68-1” characterized with good quality, better resistance, high yield and strong adaptability, showed the notable performance in the regional trial and production test. In addition, the purity of hybrid would rise to more than 99.9% by spraying herbicides, that greatly reducing the seed production risk and cost for the seed company. The extension of “Fragrant 125S/Bar68-1” might induce to fundamental change of rice farming system in China. Partial results have been published in the authority journals of breeding domain, such as "hybrid rice" and "Molecular Breeding". (Dec. 9, 2008)