Established in 1958, the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science (BAAFS) – 北京市农林科学院 is a public institution directly under the municipal government. It is primarily responsible for scientific research, technological innovation, demonstration and promotion in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, as well as related technical services and training.
BAAFS comprises 15 specialized research institutes and centers, employing 1,245 staff members, including 616 professionals and technical experts. The academy operates 2 national key laboratories, 7 national laboratories, 13 key laboratories under the Ministry of Agriculture, 5 national forestry and grassland engineering centers, 18 municipal key laboratories, and 4 Ministry of Agriculture testing centers. Additionally, it houses 4 national germplasm resource preservation institutes, an International Seed Quality Inspection and Testing Accreditation Laboratory (ISTA), and a postdoctoral research institute with independent enrollment qualifications.
BAAFS has established scientific and technological collaborations with over 30 countries, including France, Canada, Italy, and Spain. It has set up 11 international joint laboratories and 2 national-level international cooperation bases.
In the Nature Index 2020 academic rankings, BAAFS was ranked first among provincial agricultural science institutes. The academy focuses on five major research areas:
- Agricultural biogenetic breeding
- Sustainable agricultural development
- Storage, processing, and nutritional health of agricultural products
- Intelligent agriculture and digital rural development
- Agricultural development and rural revitalization
BAAFS is a leading research institution in China, particularly in crop breeding and agricultural informatization. The academy specializes in breeding vegetables, corn, wheat, and forest fruits. It has developed the world’s largest molecular fingerprint database for corn seeds, pioneered the first international two-line hybrid wheat technology system, and established China’s first high-throughput molecular breeding platform for vegetables.
In precision agriculture, BAAFS has built China’s first national precision agriculture research base and developed key technologies such as the Golden Seed Cloud Platform, the National Agricultural Science and Education Cloud Platform, Beidou-based automatic navigation for agricultural machinery, and intelligent monitoring systems for mechanized operations and big data cloud services.
In sustainable agricultural development, BAAFS has strengthened research along the entire agricultural industry chain, developing water-saving technologies for leafy root vegetables, high-efficiency soilless cultivation techniques, and plant disease prevention and control methods.
The academy actively supports the development of Pinggu Agricultural Zhongguancun, establishing several specialized research institutes. It leads the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance, which now has 72 member institutions. Furthermore, BAAFS has been recognized as a national science education and popularization base, providing high-quality services to the public.
More information: https://www.baafs.net.cn/index
