On February 18, 2004 (January 28, 2004 in the lunar calendar), Xu Guanren, founder of China Nuclear Agriculture, passed away. Xu Guanren (1914.3.7-2004.2.18) is a famous nuclear agronomist. A native of Nantong County, Jiangsu Province. Graduated from the Department of Agronomy of Central University in 1934. Received a doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1950. In 1980, he was elected as a member (academician) of China Academy of Sciences. He has served as a researcher in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota, a researcher, deputy director, director and honorary director of the Institute of Atomic Energy Utilization, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, concurrently a professor and director of the Department of Agricultural Physics and Meteorology at Beijing Agricultural University, a researcher at the Institute of Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, deputy director and acting director of the Department of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, consultant of the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, chairman, honorary chairman and honorary chairman of the China Atomic Energy Agricultural Society. Editor-in-chief of Atomic Energy Agricultural Applications and Nuclear Agriculture News. In his early days, he was engaged in research on the inheritance of rice traits, hybridization of different types of rice and the inheritance of sterility, and won the Natural Science Paper Award. During his stay in the United States, the generation and expression of corn heterosis was studied and new ideas were put forward. Thermal neutrons and X-rays were used to treat wheat and stem rust resistant mutants were obtained, which pointed out new ways for disease-resistant breeding at that time and attracted international attention. After returning to China in 1956, he devoted himself to the application of nuclear technology in agriculture, created China's first research institution for the agricultural utilization of atomic energy, initiated and established China Atomic Energy Agronomy Society, and founded "Nuclear Agronomy News" and "Nuclear Agronomy Bulletin." Using the theory and research methods of modifying the genetic structure of wheat monoploid and using radiation to induce genetic variation, we will promote the development of heterosis utilization, radiation breeding and chromosome engineering across the country, and promote the application of nuclear technology in large-scale agriculture. His main works include "Breeding Hybrid Sorghum Using Male Sterile Lines","Application of Nuclear Science and Technology in Crop Breeding","Plant Mutation Breeding" and "Introduction to Nuclear Agronomy".