Dr. Peng’s program focuses mainly on rice physiology with emphasis on improving resource use efficiency of high yielding varieties and identifying the morphological traits, physiological and biochemical processes that limit the advance of rice yield potential in the irrigated ecosystem. He has developed an internationally recognized research program in rice physiology and nutrition as documented by his publication record, grant support, and leadership of several major research projects involving substantial international collaboration. His research has advanced our fundamental understanding of rice yield potential and nitrogen (N) nutrition, and through collaboration with agronomists and plant breeders, it has also contributed to the development of improved rice varieties and crop management tools for intensive irrigated rice systems.
Dr. Peng’s work on rice N requirements and improved methods for non-destructive assessment of canopy N status has provided the scientific foundation for developing real-time, plant-based N management approaches that improve N use efficiency and grain yield. Subsequent research simplified this technology to utilize a low-cost leaf color chart (LCC), which removed constraints to adoption by farmers and resulted in measurable improvements in on-farm N fertilizer use efficiency in several major rice-producing countries. Dr. Peng’s research on rice yield potential led to the refinement of new plant type concept. Dr. Peng’s recent studies on the causes of yield decline in IR8 quantified the benefits of maintenance breeding, which has played a pivotal role in sustaining the yield potential of modern rice varieties through incorporation of tolerance to evolving abiotic stresses into more recently released rice varieties. Dr. Peng discovered rice yield dropped by about 10% for every 1 ºC rise in seasonal mean minimum temperature, which provided direct evidence of decreased rice yields from increased nighttime temperature associated with global warming.
This finding has been published in PNAS and generated tremendous publicity for rice research. Dr. Peng’s contribution to rice science is also manifested by active publication in internationally refereed journals. Dr. Peng has authored or co-authored
138 refereed journal articles, 37 chapters in books and proceedings, and edited two books. He has supervised 21 international graduate students.
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Principal and Practice of Crop Production
Technology and Management of Modern Crop Production
International Research on Crop Production

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 Yield potential of irrigated flooded and aerobic rice
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Photosynthesis, plant water relations, and water use efficiency
Nutrient utilization efficiency and carbon economy
Root biology in relation to nutrient acquisition
Stress physiology (UV-B, drought, cold, and high temperature)
Crop and natural resources management
Climate change and rice production
 American Society of Agronomy
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Crop Science Society of America
Soil Science Society of America
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Field Crops Research, Member of Editorial Advisory Board, 2002-present
Crop Science, Associate Editor, 2004-2010
Plant Production Science, Editor, 1998-present
International Rice Research Notes, Editorial Board, 2000-2002
Acta Phytophysiologica Sinica, Member of Editorial Board, 2001-present
Acta Agronomica Sinica, Member of Editorial Board, 2006-present
Chaired the International Symposium on “Climate Change and Rice” in 1994
Chaired the 23rd International Rice Research Conference in 2000
Chaired the International Workshop on “Cool Rice for a Warmer World” in
2007
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B.S. in Agronomy, Huazhong Agriculture University, China (1983)
M.S. in Agronomy, University of California, Davis, USA (1986)
Ph.D. in Crop Physiology, Texas Tech University, USA (1990)
Post Doctoral Associate, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of
Florida, USA (1990-1991)
Visiting Scientist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (1991-1993)
Associate Crop Physiologist, IRRI (1993-1997)
Crop Physiologist, IRRI (1997-2001)
Senior Crop Physiologist, IRRI (2001-2010)
Professor, Huazhong Agriculture University, China (2011-present)

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The Chairman’s Excellence in Science Award: Promising Young Scientist,
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (1996)
Honorary Scientist, the Rural Development Administration (RDA), South
Korea (2003)
Fellow, American Society of Agronomy (2004)
Fellow, Crop Science Society of America (2005)
The CGIAR Science Award for Outstanding Scientific Paper (2005)
Chang Jiang Chair Professor, Ministry of Education, P.R. China (2005)
Discover magazine's top 100 science stories for 2004 (2005)
 Peng, S., D.M. Eissenstat, J.H. Graham, K. Williams, and N.C. Hodge. 1993.
Growth depression in mycorrhiza citrus at high-phosphorus supply: Analysis of carbon costs. Plant Physiology 101(3):1063-1071.
 Peng, S., F.V. Garcia, R.C. Laza, and K.G. Cassman. 1993. Adjustment for specific leaf weight improves chlorophyll meter's estimate of rice leaf nitrogen concentration. Agronomy Journal 85(5):987-990.
 Peng, S., K.G. Cassman, and M.J. Kropff. 1995. Relationship between leaf photosynthesis and nitrogen content of field-grown rice in the tropics. Crop
Science 35(6):1627-1630.
 Peng, S., R.C. Laza, F.V. Garcia, and K.G. Cassman. 1995. Chlorophyll meter estimates leaf area-based nitrogen concentration of rice. Communications in
Soil Science and Plant Analysis 26(5-6):927-935.
 Peng, S., F.V. Garcia, R.C. Laza, A.L. Sanico, R.M. Visperas, and K.G.
Cassman. 1996. Increased N-use efficiency using a chlorophyll meter on high yielding irrigated rice. Field Crops Research 47(2-3):243-252.
 Peng, S., F.V. Garcia, H.C. Gines, R.C. Laza, M.I. Samson, A.L. Sanico, R.M.
Visperas, and K.G. Cassman. 1996. Nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated tropical rice established by broadcast wet-seeding and transplanting. Fertilizer
Research 45(2):123-134.
 Peng, S., and K.G. Cassman. 1998. Upper thresholds of nitrogen uptake rates and associated nitrogen fertilizer efficiencies in irrigated rice. Agronomy
Journal 90(2):178-185.

 Peng, S., R.C. Laza, G.S. Khush, A.L. Sanico, R.M. Visperas, and F.V. Garcia.
1998. Transpiration efficiencies of indica and improved tropical japonica rice grown under irrigated conditions. Euphytica 103(1):103-108.
 Peng, S., K.G. Cassman, S.S. Virmani, J. Sheehy, and G.S. Khush. 1999. Yield potential trends of tropical rice since the release of IR8 and the challenge of increasing rice yield potential. Crop Science 39(6):1552-1559.
 Peng, S., A.L. Sanico, F.V. Garcia, R.C. Laza, R.M. Visperas, J.P. Descalsota, and K.G. Cassman. 1999. Effect of leaf phosphorus and potassium concentration on chlorophyll meter reading in rice plant. Plant Production
Science 2(4):227-231.
 Peng, S., R.C. Laza, R.M. Visperas, A.L. Sanico, K.G. Cassman, and G.S.
Khush. 2000. Grain yield of rice cultivars and lines developed in the
Philippines since 1966. Crop Science 40(2):307-314.
 Peng, S., J.C. Biswas, J.K. Ladha, P. Gyaneshwar, and Y. Chen. 2002.
Influence of rhizobial inoculation on photosynthesis and grain yield of rice.
Agronomy Journal 94(4):925-929.
 Peng, S., J. Huang, X. Zhong, J. Yang, G. Wang, Y. Zou, F. Zhang, Q. Zhu, R.
Buresh, and C. Witt. 2002. Challenge and opportunity in improving fertilizer-nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated rice in China. Agricultural
Sciences in China 1(7):776-785 (In English with Chinese abstract).
 Peng, S., and G.S. Khush. 2003. Four decades of breeding for varietal improvement of irrigated lowland rice in the International Rice Research
Institute. Plant Production Science 6(3):157-164.
 Peng, S., J. Huang, J.E. Sheehy, R.C. Laza, R.M. Visperas, X. Zhong, G.S.
Centeno, G.S. Khush, and K.G. Cassman. 2004. Rice yields decline with higher night temperature from global warming. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences (USA) 101(27):9971-9975.
 Peng, S., R.J. Buresh, J. Huang, J. Yang, Y. Zou, X. Zhong, G. Wang, and F.
Zhang. 2006. Strategies for overcoming low agronomic nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated rice systems in China. Field Crops Research 96:37-47.
 Peng, S., B.A.M. Bouman, R.M. Visperas, A.R. Castañeda, L. Nie, and H.-K.
Park.
2006. Comparison between aerobic and flooded rice in the tropics: agronomic performance in an eight-season experiment. Field Crops Research
96:252-259.

 Peng, S., G.S. Khush, P. Virk, Q. Tang, and Y. Zou. 2008. Progress in ideotype breeding to increase rice yield potential. Field Crops Research 108:32-38.
 Peng, S., Q. Tang, and Y. Zou. 2009. Current status and challenges of rice production in China. Plant Production Science 12(1):3-8.
 Peng, S., R.J. Buresh, J. Huang, X. Zhong, Y. Zou, J. Yang, G. Wang, Y. Liu, R.
Hu, Q. Tang, K. Cui, F. Zhang, and A. Dobermann. 2010. A decade of research on improving nitrogen fertilization in rice through site-specific nitrogen management in China. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 30:649-656.
 Peng, S., J. Huang, K.G. Cassman, R.C. Laza, R.M. Visperas, and G.S. Khush.
2010. The importance of maintenance breeding: A case study of the first miracle rice variety-IR8. Field Crops Research 119:342-347.
 Yuan, W., S. Peng, C. Cao, P. Virk, D. Xing, Y. Zhang, R.M. Visperas, and R.C.
Laza. 2011. Agronomic performance of rice breeding lines selected based on plant traits or grain yield. Field Crops Research 121:168-174.
Dr. Shaobing Peng
Professor and Director
Crop Physiology and Production Center (CPPC)
College of Plant Science and Technology
Huazhong Agricultural University
Wuhan, Hubei 430070
P.R. China
Tel: +86-27-87288668
E-mail: speng@mail.hzau.edu.cn