Agricultural researchers have launched a research and development project for hybrid plants they hope will yield more crops in a shorter period of time.

The research project is aimed at revealing why hybrid crops have advantages over other types, Sun Qixin, the project's lead scientist and the vice-president of China Agricultural University, said.

"If our project is successful, China's grain output could increase by 5 billion kg a year, which is equal to 1 percent of the country's present annual food output," Sun said yesterday.