水稻单产经历了由矮化育种和杂交稻带来的两次飞跃以后，长时间停滞不前。研究表明，以籼粳稻亚种间强优势利用与理想株型相结合为主要特征的超高产育种（即超级稻），正孕育着单产水平的第3次突破。基本理论与技术路线是增加生物产量，优化产量结构，利用籼粳稻亚远缘杂交或地理远缘杂交创造新株型和强优势，通过优化性状组配使理想株型与优势相结合。按照这一理论与技术路线，已经成功地创造出一批新株型优异种质，并育成了单产12～13 t/hm²的超级稻。

After experiencing two major breakthrouths-one, through breeding for dwarfs and the other, through use of hybrid heterosis-rice-yield level has stagnated for a long time. The third breakthrough in yield should come from breeding for super high yield, to be realized by combining the use of an ideal plant type and the use of growth vigor. Research findings have shown that increasing the biological yield is the material basis, whereas optimizing yield components is the precondition for attaining such a goal. The findings have also indicated that the effective way to develop super high-yielding varieties is to create a plant type and harness the mighty vigor through crossing indica with japonica subspecies, or crossing geographically distant varieties. This two advantages are then consolidated through optimizing the combination of desirable traits via multiple crossing or backcrossing. Based on this theory and method, germplasm with new plant type and super high-yielding japonica varieties have been developed. And grain-yield has registered 12〜13 t/hm². The most distinctive feature of the varieties is their erect heavy panicle and substantial biomass production. Judging from the perspectives of photosynthetic efficiency and biomass production, such an erect panicle type could be another phenomenal change in adjusting the japonica rice plant type to meet the maximum requirement.