Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, renowned for developing the first hybrid rice strain that pulled countless people out of hunger, died of illness at 91 on May 22.

The top rice scientist in China passed away in a hospital in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, at about 1 p.m., according to the hospital and other sources.

He succeeded in cultivating the world's first high-yielding hybrid rice strain in 1973, which was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.

Yuan has spent over five decades researching and developing hybrid rice, which has reached its third generation. Until early this year, he had been conducting research in a seed breeding base in Hainan.

Data shows the accumulated planting area of hybrid rice has exceeded 16 million hectares in China, or 57 percent of the total planting area of rice, helping feed an extra 80 million people a year.

Its growth area overseas has reached 8 million hectares.