The Tea Research Institute (TRI) – 茶叶研究所, established in 1958, focuses on research related to the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), including tea germplasm, breeding, cultivation, processing, quality assessment and safety supervision, as well as tea economy and culture.
TRI houses the National Germplasm Hangzhou Tea Repository, the world’s largest tea germplasm bank, with over 3,700 tea germplasms from China and abroad. The institute has 287 staff members, including 101 professors and associate professors. It is responsible for managing key national facilities, such as:
- National Engineering and Technology Research Center of Tea Industry
- National Tea Improvement Center
- National Tea Germplasm Nursery
- Tea Research & Development Center of CAAS
- Tea Quality Supervision, Inspection and Testing Center of MARA
TRI also drafts international, national, and industrial standards, including the Guidelines for the Conduct of Test for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability for Tea (Camellia sinensis) for UPOV. It oversees organic tea certification and has developed new tea varieties and processing technologies, such as low-caffeine tea, ultra-micro green tea powder, instant tea, and fresh tea juice. The institute maintains four experimental bases in Shengzhou (Zhejiang Province), Dehong (Yunnan Province), Chunan (Zhejiang Province), and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province).
Since the 1960s, TRI has provided technical aid and capacity building to developing countries in Africa and South Asia. It also engages in international collaboration with Germany, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the United States, and other countries.
More information: www.tricaas.com.
