China Launches Central Germplasm Resource Facility in Xiong'an New Area

In a significant development for environmental conservation, China has embarked on building a large-scale germplasm resource center dedicated to forestry and grassland preservation in the Xiong'an New Area, located about 100 km from Beijing. This facility, managed by Beijing Forestry University, marks an important step in creating a comprehensive system to safeguard and make use of crucial germplasm resources across the country.

The new facility in Xiong'an is designed to serve as the national main hub, with a planned capacity to house approximately 1.8 million samples and becoming fully operational by 2028. The project forms part of a nationwide plan that includes a network of seven germplasm resource facilities organized under a “one main and six branch” model, ensuring a structured approach to resource conservation and management.

State-of-the-art technologies, such as smart sensing and automated control systems, will be integral to the facility’s operations. These innovations are expected to streamline the collection, preservation, distribution, and utilization of germplasm samples, supporting long-term strategic preservation and research initiatives.

Additional regional facilities in Shandong, Xinjiang, and Hunan are already up and running, while trial operations have begun in Inner Mongolia and construction is in progress in Hainan and Qinghai. Alongside these efforts, more than 161 in situ and ex situ conservation sites have been established to secure a vast collection of forestry and grassland germplasm samples, with 388 provincial-level facilities already in place.

Once fully operational, the Xiong'an facility will collaborate with its branch counterparts to drive forward various critical activities, including resource collection, evaluation, gene function research, and the promotion of international cooperation, thereby paving the way for innovative advancements in the forestry and grassland seed industries.