MOST-USDA Joint Research Center for Wheat Quality and Pathology

The MOST-USDA Joint Research Center for Wheat Quality and Pathology was established in 2005 through a collaboration between China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), with the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences serving as the host institution.

The center aims to enhance China's capabilities in wheat quality research and disease resistance breeding through international cooperation, focusing on the development of evaluation systems for wheat quality and disease resistance, the creation of molecular markers for breeding applications, and the selection and breeding of new wheat varieties with improved disease resistance and quality traits. By promoting collaborative research, technological development, and talent cultivation, the center strives to achieve breakthroughs in wheat quality and disease resistance-related technologies, establish an international system for technology and talent development, and strengthen China’s influence in the global wheat research community.

By June 2025, the center has collaboratively developed efficient phenotypic evaluation methods for wheat quality and disease resistance, significantly improving breeding efficiency. Together, the partners have identified 12 molecular markers associated with wheat disease resistance and quality traits, introduced 800 wheat varieties, breeding lines, and research populations, and jointly published 35 scientific papers covering the latest advances in quality breeding and disease resistance research.

Additionally, three international conferences have been organized, and 10 Chinese researchers have been sent to the United States for academic exchanges and collaborative studies, fostering global scholarly communication.