The School of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology at Lanzhou University – 兰州大学-草地农业科技学院 traces its origins to the Gansu Institute of Grassland Ecology, founded by Academician Ren Jizhou in 1981. In 2001, it became the Institute of Grassland Ecology under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and merged with Lanzhou University in 2002 to form the current school. The original names, Gansu Institute of Grassland Ecology and Institute of Grassland Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, remain in use.
The school focuses on both basic and applied research in grassland science. The main research directions are:
- Grassland agroecosystems – Understanding and optimizing ecological interactions between grassland vegetation, soil, and livestock.
- Grassland resource management and remote sensing – Investigating grassland succession, classification, and grazing management, improving natural grassland through cultivation and restoration, monitoring grassland resources, and predicting natural disasters in pastoral areas.
- Management of cultivated grassland – Developing techniques for mixed grassland sowing, high-yield forage cultivation, and grass field rotation systems.
- Forage plant protection – Focusing on ecological control of toxic grasses, pests, diseases, and microorganism-grass-livestock interactions to enhance plant health and productivity.
- Stress physiology and molecular biology of forage plants – Exploring physiological and molecular mechanisms that allow forage plants to adapt to extreme environmental conditions such as high altitudes, low temperatures, drought, and salinity, with an emphasis on functional gene screening and transformation.
- Forage plant breeding and seed science – Developing new and native forage varieties with high resistance, quality, and yield for China’s cold, dry, high-altitude, and salinized regions, and researching seed biology, processing, storage, and quality control.
- Grassland ecological chemistry – Studying the chemical processes and nutrient cycles in grassland ecosystems to improve soil and plant productivity.
- Ruminant nutrition and feed science – Optimizing livestock nutrition and feed formulations for efficient and sustainable production systems.
- Turf science – Designing, constructing, and managing lawns, playgrounds, and other turf applications.
- Grassland economics – Analyzing the economic aspects of grassland systems, including forage and livestock trade, rural development policies, production decision-making by farmers and herders, animal ethics, and the historical development of grassland science.
The school offers postdoctoral research, PhD programs, and master’s programs and has 194 faculty members, including 48 professors. It is home to the State Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem and the National “111” Grassland Agriculture Innovation and Talent Introduction Base.
The school hosts a range of key research platforms the China Grassland Industry Development Strategy Research Center, the Grassland Science National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, and the Key Laboratory of Animal Husbandry Innovation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). Additional facilities include the Forage and Turfgrass Seed Quality Supervision and Inspection Testing Center, the Feed and Feed Additives Effectiveness and Tolerance Evaluation Laboratory, and the Engineering Technology Research Center for Ecological Restoration and Utilization of Degraded Grassland in Northwest China, operated by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Further infrastructure includes the National Grass Variety Regional Experimental Station (West), the Engineering Research Center of Grassland Agriculture under the Ministry of Education, and the Qualified Grass Germplasm Nursery (Linze) of Gansu Province. The Science and Technology Platform of Grassland Biological Resources and Herbivorous Animal Production International Science and Technology Cooperation Base also plays a key role in advancing grassland and livestock research.
The school operates 15 field observation stations and demonstration bases, providing practical research and training opportunities. Notable facilities include the Qingyang National Field Station for Grassland Agroecology, the Linze Grassland Agroecology Test Station, the Yuzhong Grassland Agroecology Test Station, the Jingtai Grassland Agroecology Test Station, the Qilian Mountain Dalong Ecological Monitoring and Research Station, and the Alxa Desert-Oasis Grassland Observation and Research Station.
The school consists of 10 research departments, including Grassland Protection, Grass Seed and Plant Breeding, Grassland Ecology, Agricultural Grassland Research, System Regulation of Grass and Livestock Production, Ruminants, Stress Physiology, Remote Sensing, and Grassland Systems Analysis and Social Development. Over the years, it has successfully bred 10 new grass varieties, including Cleistogenes songorica cv. Tenggeli, Hordeum brevisubulatum cv. Hexi, and Achnatherum inebrians cv. Qilian.
The school maintains active international cooperation and academic exchanges with research institutions, universities, and companies in more than 10 countries, including Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, fostering collaborative research and innovation in grassland science.
More information (in Chinese): https://caoye.lzu.edu.cn/.
