Founded in 1958, the Institute of Pomology (IOP) – 果树研究所 is one of China’s earliest research institutes dedicated to fruit crop science. The institute comprises six departments and operates six national-level research platforms, including:
- National Apple and Pear Field Gene Bank
- National Apple Breeding Center
- National Center for Eliminating Viruses from Deciduous Fruit Trees
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Plant Protection
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Germplasm Utilization of MARA
- Fruit Quality and Safety Risk Assessment Laboratory of MARA
- Sino-Italian Joint Laboratory of Pomology
Research focuses on
- Germplasm resources collection
- Breeding of new fruit varieties
- Cultivation techniques
- Plant protection
- Post-harvest technologies
- Fruit and nursery safety inspection
- Economic analysis and information systems for major fruit crops in northern China
IOP’s work encompasses a wide range of fruits, including apples, pears, grapes, peaches, plums, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruits, and jujubes. The institute employs 228 staff, including 30 professors and associate professors.
IOP has partnerships with 45 institutes across 22 countries and has sent scholars for long-term training and research to countries such as New Zealand, the USA, and Canada. It also organizes international training workshops on fruit production technologies for students from developing countries.
More information: https://ip.caas.cn/english/.
