The Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is a comprehensive research and training base in the fields of geography, agronomy, ecology, and environmental science and technology in Northeast China. IGA was formed by merging of two institutes, the Changchun Institute of Geography and Heilongjiang Institute of Agricultural Modernization of CAS in March 2002. The Center of Agricultural Technology (CAT) of IGA, was established from the former Heilongjiang Institute of Agricultural Modernization of CAS, which was founded in 1978. The important mission of CAT is to meet the strategic needs of national food and ecological safety and to stand in the international scientific frontier. CAT is developing her own innovative system of agroecology based on geological surface system and process, and leading the development direction of mollisol agroecology by enhancing fertility of mollisol farmland and associated advanced technologies. CAT has been providing and will continue to provide technological support for national edible oil and vegetable protein by releasing new soybean varieties through combining of molecular design technology with conventional breeding method, with an emphasis on the study of molecular mechanism of formation of soybean important traits. Based on the development strategy of IGA, the aim of CAT is to build up a regional agricultural research center of advanced international standards in the Northeastern China, and to establish a distinctive training base for researchers in the area of agroecology and crop molecular genetics.

CAT is expanding. Currently there are 99 people, including 65 academic staff (69% holding a doctoral degree), 9 supportive staff and 25 administrative staff. CAT employed 18 young excellent scientists with doctoral degree in recent years. CAT has attracted a group of experts with impacts on their academic fields and study teams with middle-aged and young professionals containing reasonable age structure and multidisciplinary background, which play a key role in institute development.

Scientific research platforms have been developing steadily in CAT. There are three key laboratories, Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology of CAS, Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design and Breeding of CAS, and Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology of Heilongjiang, and four stations, Hailun National Agroecosystem Field Research Station, Hailun National Soybean Industry Technology System Station, Hailun National Sugarbeet Industry Technology System Station, and Hailun Water Conservation Monitoring Station of IGA. All these key laboratories and stations demonstrate CAT’s developmental capability with an advanced research facilities and an optimal study structure, which provide better research environment for innovation and achievement.

Research has gained fruitful achievements in recent years in CAT. CAT has achieved 19 awards at national, provincial and ministerial levels, including 1 of the Second National Science and Technology Progress Award, 4 of the First Provincial Awards and  4 of  the Second Provincial Awards; published 112 SCI papers and 300 CSCD papers including a paper published in Nature describing China's grain demand and its solutions and challenges, and one published in PNAS in the filed of soybean flowering photoperiod regulation; got 209 authorized patents including 203 invention patents; released a series of 10 Dongsheng soybean varieties, especially, Dongsheng 3 and 6 are the national high yield soybean varieties.

Graduate education has been greatly improved in quality and quantity. CAT has 1 postdoctoral station, 2 doctoral degree with programs in-Ecology and Environmental Science, and 5 master’s degree with programs in Ecology, Environmental Science, Genetics, Cartography and GIS. Currently there are 36 graduate students including 21 Ph.D. students and 15 M.S. students. Meanwhile, CAT enrolls joint doctoral students and master’s students with Northeast Agricultural University, Northeast Forestry University, Heilongjiang University, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University. Currently, there are 51 doctoral students and master’s students studying in CAT.

International collaboration and communication has being expanded, mainly in two research directions: Mollisol Ecology and Soybean Biology. In the field of Mollisol Ecology, CAT has established a good partnership with USA, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Argentina and other nations other nations which link the scientists from other three contiguous body of Mollisols in the world; moreover, CAT has signed Memorandum of Understanding with universities and water conservation centers in Australia; All these collaboration will help to broaden our research scope. In the field of Soybean Biology, CAT has building up a long-term partnership with Hokkaido University and Crop Research Institute in Japan, with Purdue University and Michigan State University in USA; In 2013 especially, a successful initiation of International Partner Program- Soybean Molecular Design and Breeding Innovation Team signified a great achievement in terms of international cooperation.

Sponsored journal:

Soil and Crop

Affiliated academic organizations:

Heilongjiang Society of Mollisols Utilization

World Mollisols Association

Address: 138 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, China

Postal Code: 150081

Tel: +86-451-86601328

Fax: +86-451-86603736