A scientist known as China's "father of hybrid rice" has developed a new strain that could enable the plant to adapt to more varied growing environments at a significantly lower cost.

The strain, the third generation of hybrid rice that Yuan Longping has developed, is designed to be hardier and able to withstand lower temperatures during the plant's reproductive phase.

"The third generation will also incorporate the merits of the previous two generations, and its adaptability to low temperatures will increase significantly," he said in an interview with China Daily.