Shouguang strengthens role as national vegetable seed breeding hub

Shouguang, a county-level city in Weifang, Shandong province, has once again been designated as a national regional high-quality seed breeding base by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. This is the second time Shouguang has received the designation since first earning the title in 2022.

Known as one of China's leading vegetable production centers, Shouguang focuses on developing domestically bred seed varieties for the vegetable industry. By reducing reliance on imported seeds, the city is improving the resilience and stability of China's vegetable sector in the long term.

Shouguang is home to the largest vegetable germplasm resource bank in Shandong province, with over 26,000 vegetable germplasm resources collected and preserved. Its collections of tomato, cucumber, and pepper germplasm are among the largest in China.

Shouguang is designated as a national regional high-quality seed breeding base by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. [Photo/IC]

The city has also enhanced its scientific research capabilities, with 12 national-level research platforms established in Shouguang. These centers promote collaboration between local seed enterprises and over 40 universities and academic teams across the country.

Through these partnerships, Shouguang is moving from experience-based farming to precision breeding. Advanced technologies such as molecular markers and gene editing are now being used extensively, significantly improving breeding efficiency and shortening breeding cycles.

This culture of innovation has produced notable results. According to official data, Shouguang has independently developed 305 new vegetable varieties, representing nearly half of Shandong province's total. The city's annual seedling breeding capacity exceeds 2 billion plants, with an industry output value of over 1 billion yuan ($147.2 million), making it the country's largest vegetable seedling breeding base.

Domestically developed vegetable seeds now comprise more than 70 percent of the local market, providing strong support for the high-quality development of China's agricultural sector.

（chinadaily.com.cn）