Founded in 2003 through the merger of the Institute of Crop Breeding & Cultivation, the Institute of Crop Germplasm, and the Crop Mutation Breeding Laboratory of the Institute of Atomic Energy Application, the Institute of Crop Sciences (ICS) – 作物科学研究所focuses on crop germplasm resources, genetic breeding, cultivation physiology, and molecular biology. The institute employs 342 staff, including 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 3 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
ICS features the Germplasm Resource Protection and Research Center, Genetic Breeding Department, Molecular Biology Department, and Cultivation Physiology Department. It operates several research facilities, including:
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding
- National Plant Transgenic Technology Research Center
- National Wheat Improvement Center
- National Genebank
- National Center for Crop Germplasm Preservation
- National Soybean Improvement Branch Center (Beijing)
- National R&D Center for Coarse Cereal Processing (Beijing)
- Key Laboratory of MARA for Crop Genetic Resources and Germplasm Innovation
- Key Laboratory of MARA for Wheat Biology and Genetic Breeding
- Grain Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Testing Center of MARA
ICS operates nine experimental stations, covering China’s main ecological zones. The stations are located in Beijing (Changping and Shunyi), Hebei (Langfang and Guyuan), Henan (Xinxiang), Jiangsu (Nanjing), Yunnan (Yuanmou), Jilin (Gongzhuling), and Hainan (Sanya).
The institute has established a number of international collaborations, including with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Collaboration projects include:
- CAAS-INRA Joint Lab on Cereal Crop Genomics
- CAAS-CIMMYT Joint Wheat Quality Laboratory
- CAAS Biodiversity Research Center
Major research projects are funded by the National Key Program on Transgenic Cultivar Breeding, the “973” Program, the “863” Program, and the National Natural Science Fund.
More information: https://ics.caas.cn/en/aboutics/briefintroduction/index.htm.
