The Institute of Chinese Herbal Medicines of the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences was established in May 1979 and covers an area of 1,850 mu. The institute consists of several sections, including the Huazhong Medicinal Botanical Gardens Management Office, Medicinal Plant Breeding and Resource Laboratory, Cultivation Laboratory of Medicinal Plants, and Natural Products Laboratory. It employs more than 50 scientific researchers and focuses on the collection, preservation, and utilization of medicinal plant germplasm resources. The institute is also involved in the protection and development of rare and endangered medicinal plants, the selection and breeding of new varieties of Chinese herbal medicines, and the research and development of green, standardized cultivation techniques. Additionally, it specializes in the creation of herbal medicine concoctions, processing, storage, and the extraction of pharmaceutical intermediates.
The institute has established a specialized innovation team and dedicated disciplines in Chinese herbal medicine breeding, cultivation, and resource conservation. Key platforms and laboratories at the institute include the Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica Biology and Cultivation, the Enshi Comprehensive Experimental Station of the National Chinese Materia Medica Industry Technology System, the National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration and Exhibition Base (Wuling Mountain), and the National Local Joint Engineering and Technology Research Center of Medicinal Plants Breeding and Cultivation (approved by the National Development and Reform Commission). The institute also operates the National Science Popularization and Education Base, and the Workstation of Wild Chinese Medicinal Resources in the Wuling Mountain Area.
In addition to its national platforms, the institute has several provincial-level research and development centers, including the Hubei Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Hubei Provincial R&D Center of Chinese Materia Medica. Other important platforms include the Hubei Provincial Seed Breeding Center of Chinese Materia Medica, the Hubei Provincial Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Center of Chinese Materia Medica, and the Hubei Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Chinese Materia Medica Standardized Cultivation (GAP). The institute is also involved in the Hubei Provincial Star Creation World of Chinese Materia Medica Industry Development and has established cooperative partnerships with the Hubei Engineering Research Center of Understorey Economy (Provincial Development and Reform Commission), the Hubei Provincial Medicinal Plant Germplasm Resource Bank, as well as the Enshi Prefecture Rare Medicinal Plants Engineering and Technology Research Center.
The Huazhong Medicinal Botanical Garden, which is part of the National Medicinal Botanical Garden System, spans 1,688 acres and preserves more than 1,600 plant specimens. Among these, 38 species are rare and endangered medicinal plants under national protection. The institute also maintains several specialized germplasm resource nurseries, including those for Bamboo Ginseng, Yelong Grass, Swertia, Epimedium, and more. The Hubei Provincial Medicinal Plant Germplasm Resource Bank is the largest of its kind in China, covering an area of 555 acres in Houpu. Other research and conservation facilities include the Purple Oil Thick Park, Yelong Grass Nursery, Bamboo Ginseng Nursery, and 13 other germplasm resource nurseries.
More information (in Chinese): https://www.hbzyc.com.cn/index.php.
