http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/events/detail-events/en/c/1440/

1. Investment in agricultural
biotechnology: China’s
perspective
Xinhai Li
Institute of Crop Science,
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

2. Outline
 Deployment of agro-biotechnology
R&D program in China
 Agro-biotechnology R%D progress
in China
 Strategy of agro-biotechnology
development in China

3. I. Deployment of agro-biotechnology
R&D program in China

4. • Accelerating the development, and
application of novel varieties and bio-
products, etc
• Great potential in ensuring food security,
breaking through resource constraints,
and improving eco-environment
Role of agro-biotechnology

5. • Ensuring food security and major
agricultural products effective supply has
always been the primary task in China
• In the medium- and long-term, it will
ultimately rely on scientific -technological
progress, especially constant innovation
and application of biotechnology
Agriculture in China

6. Since the beginning of the 21st century,
Agro-biotechnology research and development
has been fully deployed and strengthened.
Agro-biotechnology R&D in China
• In 2001, Agro-Biotechnology R&D was
proposed as a state-level high-tech program
in the tenth five-year plan of national
economic and social development in China

7. • 2006-2020: Agro-Biotechnology will always be
the main research and development program in
the national medium- and long-term outline for
science and technology development
Agro-biotechnology R&D in China
• In 2009, Policy on accelerating the
development of bio-industry was issued by
the State Council

8. • In 2011-2015, overall scheme on bio-industry
was deployed in the 12th five-year plan for
national economic and social development
• By 2020, bio-industry will become a pillar
industry of national economy in China,
according to the bio-industry development plan
issued by the State Council in 2012
Agro-biotechnology R&D in China

9. II. Some achievements in agro-
biotechnology in China

10. 1. Some key breakthroughs have been achieved in
agricultural genomics research
• Whole-genome sequencing has been completed in
major crops, such as rice, wheat, cotton, cucumber,
cabbage, tomato, potato, etc.
Nature, 2013

11. • Molecular basis of important traits - yield, plant architecture,
quality, and stress resistance has been dissected in rice,
wheat, maize, soybean, cotton, rape, and other crops,
promoting the breeding theoretical methodology development
Genome Biology, 2017Plant Cell, 2017

12. • During 2008-2016, 159 novel transgenic Bt cotton
varieties have been developed, with a cumulative
extending area of 28.7 million hectares
2. Significant progress has been made in
transgenic technology research

13. • Bio-fertilizer: more than 800 bio-fertilizer enterprises,
with annual output of 8 million tons
3. Bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide, and bio-feed have
shown a good development prospect
• Bio-pesticides: with annual output of about
130,000 tons
• Bio-feed: scale application of bio-feed since 1990s

14. 4. Biomass conversion and refining technology has
promoted development of bio-energy industrialization
• Using genetic engineering, a number of novel
high energy crop varieties have been developed
• Straw cellulose ethanol producing equipment
with an annual output of 1000 tons built
• With the development of several special lipases
and solid acid and alkali catalysts for biodiesel,
an integrative technology for cleaner production
explored

15. III. Strategy of agro-biotechnology
development in China

16. Strategy
• Breaking through advanced technologies such as
functional genomics, molecular design, bio-product
target design, bio-transformation and bio-catalysis
• Developing agro-biotechnology products with high
yield, high quality, high efficiency, and stress
resistance
Aiming at enhancing the core innovation
ability and competence:

17. Functional genomics
• Genome sequencing of major crops
• Mining of valuable genes
• Dissection of regulatory network

18. Molecular design
• Gene editing
• Gene pyramiding
• Genome selection
• Cell engineering
• Chromosome engineering
• Induced mutation
• Metabolic engineering

19. Target design
• Bio-product target design: bio-fertilizer, bio-
pesticide, bio-feed, and bio-vaccine, etc
• Food design with nutritional quality:
breaking through techniques such as
metabolic regulation of functional factors,
nano-preparation of food nutrients, and
efficient targeted delivery, etc

20. Bio-transformation and bio-catalysis
• Developing novel crop varieties with high
energy
• Establishing technology system of bio-
energy (cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, fuel
oil, etc.)

21. Summay
• Agro-biotechnology is one of the most active
areas of scientific research and development
• China will take more efforts to develop agro-
biotechnology, and ensure food security and
effective supply of agricultural products

22. Thanks for your attention!