On February 15, 2025, the National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Horticultural Crops convened the second meeting of its first Academic Committee at Huazhong Agricultural University. Seventeen committee members, including ten academicians, gathered to discuss the laboratory’s strategic development and research priorities.
Approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology in November 2022, the laboratory is jointly operated by Huazhong Agricultural University and the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It focuses on major horticultural crops such as citrus, peach, and tomato, aiming to develop new varieties with superior quality, high efficiency, and resistance to multiple diseases. Its research areas include germplasm evaluation and gene discovery, rootstock-scion interactions and breeding, germplasm innovation for diverse variety development, and quality control and value-added utilization.
Academician Deng Xiuxin, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chair of the Academic Committee, highlighted the importance of goal-oriented research and team-based approaches in tackling major scientific challenges. He also encouraged deeper integration between the lab’s co-establishing institutions, highlighting the need to jointly train talent, build platforms, share responsibilities, and pool resources. Professor Yan Jianbing, President of Huazhong Agricultural University, pointed out the transformative potential of the digital era and called for problem-driven research alongside methodological innovations to strengthen the laboratory’s competitiveness and global impact.
Committee members commended the laboratory’s achievements in research, management, and talent development. They recommended strengthening organized research initiatives, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration, and addressing technological bottlenecks that hinder the advancement of horticultural production. They further proposed setting five-year and ten-year development targets to ensure alignment with China’s agricultural priorities, stressing the importance of talent cultivation and team-building for sustainable growth.
During the meeting, participants viewed recent scientific advances on display and sampled newly developed varieties of citrus, tomatoes, and strawberries. Notable successes include a groundbreaking study on the molecular mechanisms of oil gland development and essential oil synthesis in citrus-led by Academician Deng’s team and published as a cover article in Science-as well as new varieties and technologies with commercial impact. Professor Ye Zhibiao’s tomato variety “Beiweimei” and Professor Xu Qiang’s plant-based metabolite for controlling citrus greening both achieved multimillion-dollar technology transfers. Meanwhile, the “Zongcheng” citrus variety was named one of the 2024 Major Scientific and Technological Achievements in Chinese Agriculture and Rural Development, while “Huagan No. 4” and “Zhongyou Pan 9” were listed among China’s national leading agricultural varieties.
Looking ahead, the laboratory will continue to focus on major industry needs, leveraging the country’s extensive horticultural germplasm resources. By pursuing advanced research on trait formation mechanisms, innovative breeding technologies, and the discovery of superior germplasm, it aims to make significant contributions to the sustainable, high-quality development of China’s horticulture sector.
Source: Hubei Daily
