“This collaboration will accelerate our research and increase our efficiency and competitiveness,” says Xun Wang, Head of Syngenta Biotechnology China. “ARRI has strong expertise and experience in genetics, breeding and field experiments.”
The base crop for the program will be rice, which is highly suited for gene research. It is a well characterized crop regarding genetic, molecular and agronomic information and its genome is closely related to those of major crops such as corn. The relatively short growing cycle of rice will also allow more testing to be completed in a shorter time frame.
“We are very excited and honored to be entering into collaboration with Syngenta, a world class agribusiness with global expertise. I strongly believe scientists from both sides will work closely together to develop cutting-edge technologies and provide novel solutions to agriculture,” says Jianbo Yang, President of Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
The research agreement is part of Syngenta’s efforts to work closely with Chinese academics. In 2007, Syngenta entered into a five-year research collaboration with the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) in Beijing on the development of novel agronomic traits for key crops such as corn, soybean, wheat, sugar beet and sugar cane.
Founded in 1987, ARRI is a leading institute in rice research and technology innovation in Anhui Province in China. Since its establishment, ARRI has undertaken many key projects such as with the United Nations Development Programme and the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation.