Zhang Qifa, male, Han nationality, is a native of Gong'an, Hubei Province. He graduated from the Middle China Agriculture Institute in 1976 and received a doctorate from the University of California, Davis in 1985.
Zhang Qifa has spent much of his career analyzing world barley hereditary diversity and has introduced important characteristics in world barley hereditary variation. His work explained the independent origins of orient and west barley.
Using a molecular mark, Zhang analyzed the relationship between rice heterosis and modular mark mixed degree and anatomized hereditary basis of heterosis. He introduced a large quantity of epigyny hereditary effects and proposed the idea that epigyny was an important hereditary basis of heterosis. Zhang created a modular mark chain chart, which positioned more than 20 major effective rice genes and large quantities of character genes.
Zhang used modular technology to cultivate a good hybridized rice renewal series and quality improvement sterile series that could resist white leaf blight and transgenic rice that could delay the caducity of leaves which increased production potential.
Zhang is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.