Guizhou Sub-center of National Wheat Improvement Center, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and established in July 2013, is a non-profit scientific research and technical service institution affiliated with Guizhou University and Agriculture Committee of Guizhou.
The director of the sub-center is Prof. Ren Mingjian. The deputy directors are Prof. Xu Ruhong and Prof. Zhang Suqin. There are 17 full-time and part-time researchers, including nine professors, five associate professors, and four lecturers. Of the researchers, 13 hold doctoral degrees, two hold master's degrees, and two hold bachelor's degrees. In addition, there are five visiting professors (researchers). A research and innovation team has been established with a sound structure, extensive research fields, and excellent scientific and technological strength.
There are functional laboratories such as Molecular Breeding Room, Cell Engineering Room, Cultivation Physiology Room, Quality Analysis Room, Pathology Appraisal Room, Seed Testing Room, Tissue Culture Room, and Pasta Processing Room. The laboratories cover an area of about 1,300 square meters, and more than 100 sets of apparatus and instruments are available: including high-efficiency molecular marker analysis system, real-time quantitative PCR, photosynthetic apparatus, automatic farinograph, electronic tensile instrument, near-infrared grain analyzer and other large-scale equipment. A breeding research and experimental base with complete supporting facilities has been built, covering an area of 4.33 hectares. There is a full range of agricultural machinery and equipment (such as combine harvesters, seed dryers, concentrators, and quantitative packaging machines, and others) necessary from sowing to reaping. There is a selection room of 300 square meters, a seed storage room of 800 square meters, a multi-functional greenhouse of 1200 square meters, and a drying space of 2,000 square meters; all ready to provide sound research conditions for related scientific researches.
The Center undertakes more than 30 scientific research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology Achievement Transformation, the National Science and Technology Support Program, the Ministry of Agriculture Seed Project, the Guizhou Provincial Science Foundation, the Achievement Promotion Program, the Agricultural Research Center, and International Cooperation. To meet the needs of Guizhou's wheat industry development, much relevant theoretic and applied research has been carried out. Through long-term remote hybridization research, the research team has bred a new batch of wheat germplasms resistant to powdery mildew and stripe rust (such as Guinong No. 21, 22, 775, etc.) which have been provided to many breeding units across the country. Nine Guinong wheat varieties (Guinong 18, 19, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, Guizimai No. 1) have passed provincial appraisal and two varieties of Chinese sorghum (Maoliang No. 1 and No.2) are designated as exclusive supply for Guizhou’s Maotai-flavor spirits. More than 200 scientific papers have been published. Related research has won the Center first, second and third prizes of the Guizhou Science and Technology Progress Awards and the second prize of the Science and Technology Progress Awards of the Ministry of Education.
Although Guizhou is not a main wheat producing area, it has the unique conditions for carrying out wheat disease resistance appraisal and germplasm innovation research. The Center, rooted in Guizhou, but looking towards the whole country, has its own characteristics and advantages. It mainly carries out research work on germplasm innovation, species breeding, molecular breeding, disease resistance appraisal, quality inspection, and seed testing. The Center also focuses on strengthening scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges. It has established close cooperation with Institute of Genetics under Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University and other institutions, and has conducted extensive academic exchanges and scientific research cooperation with universities and research institutes in the United States, Israel, and other countries. It provides technological support for Guizhou's wheat production, pasta processing industry, and Maotai-flavor liquor industry.
The Center participates in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching for the College of Agriculture of Guizhou University, by being involved in the teaching of crop genetics and breeding, seed science and engineering, and farming and cultivation of crops. The Center's teachers have undertaken to offer more than 10 courses such as "Crop Breeding", "Seedology", "Molecular Biology", "Cytogenetics", "Agricultural Product Quality Inspection", and "Plant Physiology", and guides 15 graduate students and an average of 30 undergraduate students every year in their theses.
