The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wild Plant Resources Research Institute of the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (QAAFS) was established in September 2001 as a professional research institution focusing on the research, development, and utilization of wild plant resources on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The institute currently employs 10 staff members, including 9 researchers with senior professional and technical titles. It houses two research laboratories: the Plant Resource Utilization Research Laboratory and the Edible Fungi Research Laboratory, as well as two additional laboratories: the Natural Products Laboratory and the Microbiology Laboratory.
The institute’s primary research areas include the development and utilization of chemical components of wild plants, introduction and domestication of wild plants, and the introduction, selection, and cultivation of landscaping tree species suitable for plateau cities. It also focuses on the domestication of characteristic wild edible fungi, the introduction and cultivation of rare edible fungi, and the large-scale production of edible fungi. The institute has undertaken numerous scientific research projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Qinghai Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Qinghai Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Qinghai Provincial Forestry Department, and the Qinghai Provincial Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
Key research focuses include the evaluation of plateau wild plant germplasm resources, the survey of wild plant species, and the ecological restoration and protection of endangered and rare plants. The institute is also engaged in research on the high-value cultivation, processing, and reuse of wild plant resources in cold and cool areas, particularly for species like apocynum, white thorn, and seabuckthorn. Additionally, the institute studies the introduction and cultivation of urban landscaping tree species on the Qinghai Plateau, such as golden leaf elm, four-season weigela, and golden flame spirea, and has formulated over 6 technical regulations for seeding and seedling cultivation of these species.
Another area of research is the introduction and domestication of wild edible (medicinal) fungi resources in the cold and cool regions of Qinghai, including research on high-yield cultivation techniques and product development. The institute works on classifying and breeding edible (medicinal) fungi suitable for cultivation in regions such as Sanjiangyuan, Qaidam, and the eastern agricultural and pastoral areas. It also investigates and introduces alpine wild and rare edible (medicinal) fungi resources, strengthens the development of stress-resistant, high-yield, and off-season edible (medicinal) fungi cultivation technologies, and provides technical support for the construction of a plateau fungi industry ecosystem.
More information (in Chinese): https://lgs.gsagr.cn/.
