Jiangsu Unveils New Seed Industry Group and Innovation Alliance to Boost Agricultural Modernisation

A new provincial seed industry platform and innovation coalition have been officially launched in Nanjing, marking a key step in Jiangsu’s implementation of the national seed industry revitalisation strategy. The dual launch of Jiangsu Seed Industry Group and Jiangsu Seed Industry Science and Technology Innovation Alliance builds on over seven decades of agricultural expertise from Jiangsu State Farms Group, strengthening regional seed source security and empowering high-quality agricultural development.

Seed innovation forms the core of modern agricultural competitiveness. Backed by vast contiguous high-quality farmland and a complete industrial chain system, Jiangsu State Farms Group has fostered a mature seed research and breeding system. It integrates conventional breeding and biological breeding, and advances independent research alongside collaborative technical breakthroughs. The newly established industrial and innovation platforms drive the regional seed sector toward intensive development, technology-enabled precision breeding and nationwide market expansion.

The group has built a systematic modern seed research network, including specialised industrial research institutes and upgraded molecular breeding laboratories, preserving more than 20,000 germplasm resources. Multiple variety testing bases across core agricultural regions support multi-site breeding and resource verification. Extensive technical cooperation with leading research institutions and universities facilitates joint research in biological breeding, gene editing and germplasm exploration.

Advanced breeding technologies have accelerated industrial upgrading. The adoption of molecular marker-assisted selection and rapid generation advancement has cut breeding cycles for wheat and corn by over 40 percent. Modern precision breeding techniques deliver comprehensive improvements in key disease-resistant traits for major crops. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 50 new crop varieties have been approved, with self-developed varieties accounting for 80 percent of the total. A series of high-quality wheat and rice varieties have gained wide market recognition and large-scale promotion across China.

Full industrial chain integration underpins stable seed supply. Leveraging 800,000 mu of standardized seed breeding bases, the group implements unified production and quality supervision mechanisms with full traceability systems. Its high-quality rice and wheat seeds occupy a dominant market share in Jiangsu. Continuous market expansion across major agricultural regions nationwide enhances the influence of its core seed brand.

The innovation alliance unites 43 local universities, research institutes, leading enterprises and service bodies, covering grain crops, aquatic seedlings, forestry, flowers and livestock breeding. It establishes efficient mechanisms for germplasm resource sharing, open project bidding and accelerated research commercialisation. The market-oriented research model bridges technological research and industrial demands, resolving long-standing disconnects between scientific innovation and practical application.

The alliance also drives structural upgrading of Jiangsu’s seed sector, expanding development focus from traditional grain crops to diversified agricultural categories. Looking ahead, Jiangsu State Farms Group will optimise national market layout, strengthen cutting-edge technological research, expand industrial scale through capital operations and cultivate professional innovation teams. The dual-platform mechanism will continuously consolidate seed source security, upgrade industrial competitiveness and sustain the high-quality development of modern agriculture in Jiangsu.