The Vegetable Research Institute of the Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences (TAAAS) traces its origins to the July 1st Agricultural Experimental Field, established in 1952. In 1995, it was officially designated as the Tibet Autonomous Region Vegetable Research Institute. The institute consists of several departments, including the office, political and engineering department, planning and finance department, and specialized divisions for vegetable breeding, vegetable cultivation, plant protection, and flower research. As of the end of 2020, the institute had 104 employees.
The institute primarily focuses on breeding new varieties of cruciferous vegetables, Chinese cabbage, and radish, as well as purifying and rejuvenating local Tibetan pepper varieties. It also works on the collection, artificial domestication, and selection of wild vegetable resources. Research extends to the introduction, screening, hydroponics, atomization, and substrate cultivation of various vegetables, along with the application of Internet + technology for remote process monitoring and control. The institute is engaged in the development of seedlings and cultivation substrates and the collection, evaluation, and utilization of wild edible fungi resources. It introduces and selects rare fungi such as Bailing mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Pleurotus eryngii suitable for cultivation in Tibet while integrating and demonstrating efficient production techniques, edible fungi processing technology, and mycorrhizal seedling synthesis technology.
Further research includes breeding new potato varieties, introducing and selecting high-quality, high-yield potato varieties, developing high-yield cultivation technologies, and producing virus-free seed potatoes. The institute is also involved in the development, identification, evaluation, utilization, and artificial domestication of endangered Tibetan medicinal materials, bulk Tibetan medicinal materials, and unique regional medicinal resources. Research efforts focus on seedling cultivation techniques, germplasm preservation, and variety improvement.
Additionally, the institute works on the collection, preservation, fine evaluation, and germplasm creation of fruit tree and flower resources on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It introduces and evaluates new varieties of apples, peaches, grapes, and walnuts, studies cultivation techniques and ecological physiology, and demonstrates green and efficient cultivation practices for major fruit trees. The institute also researches crop germplasm resources in Tibet’s hot areas, breeding new varieties, and adopting new agricultural technologies. Research on the cultivation, breeding, and processing of Tibetan tea trees is ongoing, along with green prevention and control strategies for horticultural crop diseases and pests and the study of natural enemy insects.
The institute manages several research platforms, including the National Bulk Vegetable Industry Technology System Lhasa Comprehensive Experiment Station, the National Edible Fungi Industry Technology System Lhasa Comprehensive Experiment Station, the National Potato Industry Technology System Lhasa Comprehensive Experiment Station, MARA Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Fruit Tree Observation and Experiment Station, and the National Tibetan Plateau Crop Germplasm Resource Nursery.
It also operates multiple experimental fields, including the Tibet Lhasa National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, Southeast Tibet Ecological Agriculture Comprehensive Experimental Demonstration Zone, Qushui Vegetable Germplasm Creation and Demonstration Base, and Tibet Wild Fungus Resource Conservation and Strain Breeding Base.
More information (in Chinese): http://www.taaas.org/jgsz/gyjs/scyjs.htm.
