Li Denghai, with his muddy boots and tanned  face, may not look like he is one of China's famous agricultural pioneers. But the 61-year-old man from Shandong Province has made scientific breakthroughs , which made great contributions to China's food security . His main work has been in achieving the higher output of corn production. Li, who holds the world record for the highest output of summer corn, once says, "Corn has a life; it sings and dances. If you listen clearly, it can speak to you." He started his research in 1969 when he was 20 and just dropped out of a high school. He then read an article which pointed that corn output per mu in the USA was six times higher than that in China. He was shocked and set out to work on just a small piece of land _ to see if he could increase the output. He often went to the field with a flashlight late at night, if he had been away during the day. By careful nurturing   he managed to double the output. Li Denghai was awarded the "China Award for Significant Contribution to the Maize   Industry" in 2005, and the same year the company named after his own name came into the market on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Li, however, is never happier than when he is in the middle of his cornfields. "I can forget my tiredness when talking to my corns," he says. When Li Denghai began the study of corn,  _  .
he just graduated from an ordinary high school he was shocked that the corn output in China was so low he was only in his thirties he wasn't really fond of his work