Center of Crop Management and Farming System

The Center for Crop Management and Farming Systems is dedicated to addressing the major challenges of ensuring national food security and modern agricultural development. Focusing on major grain and oilseed crops, the Center concentrates on the fundamental theories of crop physiology and ecology, innovates key cultivation and farming technologies, and strengthens technology demonstration and application services. It aims to achieve the synergistic development of high yield, superior quality, efficiency, ecological sustainability, and safety in crop production. The Center's main research directions include: the physiological and ecological mechanisms underlying crop yield and quality formation, along with high-yield and high-quality technologies; the physiological and ecological mechanisms of efficient resource utilization in crops, paired with high-yield and high-efficiency technologies; the physiological and ecological mechanisms for high yield and carbon emission reduction in crop systems, coupled with low-carbon farming technologies; and the intelligent acquisition of crop phenotypic information and precision cultivation management technologies. The center currently comprises eight innovation research groups with 38 in-service researchers, including 15 senior research fellows and 10 associate senior research fellows, forming a well-structured and highly innovative scientific team. The center's landmark achievements include:

Elucidation of the photosynthetic physiological and molecular mechanisms contributing to high crop productivity and resource use efficiency. The discovery of the rice gene OsDREB1C revealed its dual role in enhancing both photosynthetic and nitrogen-use efficiency, resulting in field yield increases exceeding 30%. This breakthrough was published in Science and represents a significant advancement in crop genetic improvement.

Development of an integrated precision water and fertilizer management system for high-yield, high-density maize cultivation. The system incorporates ten core technologies: selection of density-tolerant hybrids, optimized planting density, precision seed coating, fine land preparation, rational row spacing configuration, navigation-guided precision sowing, drip irrigation for uniform emergence, chemical regulation for lodging resistance, site-specific water and nutrient management, “Single-Spray, Multi-Promotion” strategies, and reduced-loss harvesting techniques. As a core component of the National Maize Yield Enhancement Program, this system has been recognized as a Major New Agricultural Technology and a Leading Agricultural Technology in China. It is projected to be implemented across over 6.67 million hectares (100 million Chinese mu) in 18 major maize-producing provinces by 2025, with average yield gains exceeding 2,250 kilograms per hectare.

Pioneering the integration of high-yield, high-quality, and methane emission reduction technologies in rice production. The Center proposed an innovative cultivation model based on the principle of “Oxygen enhancement → Root strengthening → Oxidation promotion” and established technical approaches such as “aerobic tillage under wet conditions” and “increased planting density with controlled irrigation for oxygen enrichment”. This work was awarded the Second Prize of the Shennong China Agricultural Science and Technology Award (2022–2023), recognizing its contribution to sustainable rice production.