Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

The Zhuhai Research Demonstration Base of the National Engineering Research Center of Plant Space Breeding was inaugurated to mark opening day of the local satellite venue of the 15th Guangdong Seed Expo on Dec 29.

At the same time, the Exhibition, Detection & Experiment complex of the Guangdong (Zhuhai) Modern Seed Development Center came under construction.

Inauguration ceremony

The center was set up in the Agricultural University of South China with approval from the Ministry of Science &Technology in November 2009. It was the first research institute in Guangdong to carry out plant breeding in space orbit.

Last December, the city signed a cooperation framework agreement with the university regarding industrial planning, research, and seed engineering. Industry insiders predict that the opening of the Research Demonstration Base will take their cooperation to a higher level and drive the city’s plant seed-breeding industry.

The Exhibition, Detection & Experiment complex of the Guangdong (Zhuhai) Modern Seed Development Center consists of a storage facility for seeds and a service center. It covers more than 9,800 sq m and has a floorage of 9,820.36 sq m. Costing 35.27 million yuan ($5.1 million), it will be completed by the end of 2018.

Pumpkins get a little love. [Photos by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]

In addition, construction of the Guangdong (Zhuhai) Modern Seed Development Center is progressing. Among its facilities, Phase 1 of the Tropical Orchid (International) Seed Industry R&D Center has been finished, and the second and third phases will be completed in early 2017. Furthermore, the Breeding & Demonstration Base for Well-bred Seeds has been constructed. 

As an important part of the Seed Development Center, the storage facility foundation is in place, which is a major step for the Seed Development Center project.