The Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), formerly known as Shijiazhuang Institute of Agricultural Modernization, was founded in 1978 aiming to consolidate the fundamental development of national agriculture, to enhance application of modern agricultural technology, and to ensure the effective and sustainable increase of agricultural products, by products and animal husbandry in China. The institute was jointly built by CAS and Hebei provincial government and named as "Luancheng Institute of Agricultural Modernization" after the approval by CPC Central Committee. In May 1979, the institute was formally renamed as "Shijiazhuang Institute of Agricultural Modernization of CAS”. In 2002, along with the implementation of the Knowledge Innovation Program in CAS, the institute was merged into the Institute of Genetics and Development Biology (IGDB) and became the Center for Agricultural Resources Research as an independent Administrative Agency.

People

Currently, the Center has 132 staff, of which 103 personnel are in research positions, 29 personnel are at administrative and technologically supporting positions. The research team at the research center includes one Academician of CAS, one recipient of “One Thousand Talents Program for Young Outstanding Scientists”, six recipients of “Hundred Talents Program” of CAS. There are 18 professors and 40 associate professors, in which 57 hold doctorial degree and 27 had master degree. There are 77 young professionals under the age of 45. Around 40% of the research staff has the experience working or studying abroad.

The Center offers master and doctoral programs in ecology and genetics. Currently, there are about 80 graduate students and 9 postdoctoral fellows.

Missions

The mission of the research center was to develop theories, technology, products and strategies for sustainable agricultural management and food production and to meet national requirements for food security, water shortage and environmental issues.

The center sets up three research fields such as farmland hydrological processes and efficient utilization of water resource, ecological processes and ecosystem management, and germplasm resources and crop breeding to provide breakthrough theory and technologies in wheat breeding, efficient use of water resources, environment protection and farmland pollution control.  

Funding Support and Achievements

Since the reunion of the Center in 2002, the Center has undertaken projects supported by national “973”, “863”, NNSF and Innovation projects from CAS, key projects from Hebei Province and international cooperation projects. Through such funding support, the Center won 34 achievements, of which 9 was awarded as the second prize of National S&T Progress. Academician Changming Liu was awarded the outstanding contribution prize in S&T of Hebei province. The Center had won 158 patents with 90 being invention patents. In addition, the center has published more than 1000 research papers in which 329 were indexed by SCI and 76 by EI. There are totally 18 new varieties in wheat and soybean developed at this Center, and in which three varieties were given certificate by national government. The total planting area for the new varieties was over 6 million ha. There are 11 Provincial Standards applied by the province. The Center carries out a series of works on extension and application of technologies with remarkable economic benefit to society being achieved.

Field Stations

The Center has three field experimental stations along the transaction of latitude 38^oN representing ecosystems from the mountain area to the piedmont region and the coastal plain in the Haihe Catchment. These stations provide prefect platform for long-term ecosystem monitoring and scientific research. One of the stations, Luancheng station located in the piedmont, was promoted to the national field research station in 2005 and being the member of eco-network of CAS and international GTSO. Another station, Taihang station located in the mountain area, became one of the designated observation stations of National Forestry Research Network in 2013. Nanpi station, located near the sea, services as the base for our national key project “Bohai granary”. The Center also established three laboratories, they are the Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources of CAS, Key Laboratories of Agricultural Water-saving of Hebei province, and Key Engineering Laboratory of Propagation of Breeding Materials with Stress Resistance and Germplasm Innovation.

Society and Journal organized