As one of the oldest institutes at Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (NWAFU), the College of Agronomy began undergraduate training in 1936 and postgraduate training in 1960. It offers three undergraduate programs in Agronomy, Plant Science and Technology, and Seed Science and Technology, as well as PhD and postgraduate training in Crop Genetics and Breeding and Crop Cultivation and Farming Systems.
The college’s wheat genetics and breeding program has gained widespread recognition, particularly for developing the widely cultivated wheat variety Xinong 979. It has a long history of research in dryland farming and has played a key role in developing modern technologies for arid agriculture. This expertise is reflected in the Dryland Farming course module and the establishment of the Arid Agricultural Research Center.
The Crop Science Program focuses on several key research areas, including crop genetic improvement and germplasm innovation, crop heterosis, crop molecular biology, efficient farming systems and cultivation technology for arid areas, agricultural regional development, and recycling agriculture.
The college operates 15 national and ministerial or provincial research platforms, including the State Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, the National Breeding and Agro-biotechnology Center, the Yangling Branch of the China Wheat Improvement Center, the Yangling Branch of the China Maize Improvement Center, and the Key Laboratory of Wheat Biology, Genetics, and Breeding in Northwest Arid Areas.
The College of Agronomy has 234 staff members and hosts approximately 1,200 students.
More information: https://nxy.nwafu.edu.cn/english/about/index.htm.
