Quoting the NYT obituary:

Mr. Yuan’s research arguably had effects at least as broad, since rice is the main grain for half the world’s population and wheat for a third.

Yes the First generation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_rice#History

Also Borlaug did it mostly in Mexico.

He (or his work) was adapted for India spurring the “Green Revolution” which was responsible for ending chronic food shortages in India. Absolutely massive impact made by one man.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/green-r...

Yeah - I think I was confusing India and China...And wheat and rice.

Sad that people that have had such a profound impact on the world, in such good ways, are relatively unknown.

You may be interested in https://gitlab.com/kragen/derctuo/blob/master/markdown/hacke..., although it's pretty incomplete. Yuan isn't on there, for example.

Gahh....Noo...I'll never finish looking all that up :-P Thanks - there's some interesting stuff there

/me runs off to google "House of Wisdom"