The Institute of High Latitude Crops at Shanxi Agricultural University (SXAU) was founded in 1949, originally known as Chahar Provincial Datong Farm. The institute is primarily engaged in the collection and protection of germplasm resources and the breeding of new crop varieties, including potato, coarse cereals (millet, oats, proso millet, buckwheat, and edible beans), daylily, oil crops (flax, soybean, and rapeseed), forage grass, maize, and Chinese medicinal materials. In addition, the institute conducts scientific research on high-yield theories, organic dryland cultivation techniques, bioengineering, soil fertility improvement, water-saving agriculture, disease and insect control, and protected field cultivation for crops grown in high-latitude regions.
The institute also provides social services such as the demonstration and promotion of new varieties and techniques, agricultural science consultation, and the training of agricultural technicians. The Institute of High Latitude Crops is dedicated to serving “agriculture, rural areas, and farmers” and strives to contribute to the development of “special” and “excellent” agriculture in Shanxi Province while supporting local rural revitalization.
The institute is recognized as the national breeding base for virus-free potato original seed and improved seed, as well as the national breeding innovation base for coarse cereals. It is also an entrusted institution of the National Agriculture Science Datong Observation Station and has been designated by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shanxi Province as the “Shanxi Province Crop Germplasm Resources Daylily Sub-center.” The institute holds leadership roles in the Industrial Technique Innovation Strategic Alliances for Datong daylily, flax, and proso millet, and is recognized by the Datong Science and Technology Office as the Datong Daylily Key Laboratory and Datong Daylily Zhongchuang Space.
The institute employs 124 staff members and operates 16 research offices, including those focused on potato, medicinal plants, maize, special crops, rapeseed, legumes, vegetables and flowers, forage grass, oats, buckwheat, daylily, flax, millet, and proso millet. With a coverage rate of over 80% for potatoes, flax, and proso millet, the institute plays a significant role in the development of the local coarse cereals industry. In recent years, the institute has focused on leveraging the advantages of resources in Datong to meet the needs of industrial development, guided by the technical requirements of local agricultural industries, including special coarse cereals breeding, organic dryland farming technology integration, seedling factory production, and standardized cultivation.
More information: https://www.sxau.edu.cn/en/Institutes/Institute_of_High_Latitude_Crops.htm
