Vegetable Research Institute Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences is a governmental vegetable research and development center, aiming at breeding vegetable for high yield, excellent quality, and disease resistance, and developing the new technologies of vegetable breeding, cultivating and quality monitoring. Our institute has 91 staff members majoring in vegetable genetics and breeding, biotechnology, and plant physiology and biochemistry, of which 25 persons are of high title, 15 persons are of middle title.

Scientific Research
Genetic breeding: the research focus of the institute. There are 6 breeding laboratories. Now the institute offers growers more than 80 distinct seed varieties of nearly 30 species, including cucumber, bitter gourd, sponge gourd, chieh-qua, pumpkin, Chinese wax gourd, watermelon, sweet corn, tomato, pepper, eggplant, pea, Kidney bean, cowpea and mushroom.

Biotechnology: Guangdong Key laboratory of Vegetable and Fruit, established in 2001,is attached to the institute. Based on the modern biotechnology, researchers discover and transfer specific traits (and their respective genes) to accomplish specific goals. Now the researchers apply molecular markers into the studies of resistance to epidemic disease, and the relationships between bitter gourd heterosis and marker genetic distance. Transgenic study was undertaken in Capsicum for resistance to bacterial wilt distance. Transgenic study was undertaken in Capsicum for resistance to bacterial wilt.

Quality monitoring: Vegetable Quality Detection and Supervision Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, PRC, set up in December 2000, is also attached the institute. The institute is a legal inspection center authorized by Ministry of agriculture, supply guarantee of quality, healthy and safe of vegetable. The center inspected the quality of vegetable seeds and the nutritional components in fruits and vegetables and the chemical residuals in vegetable and fruit. We also monitor the atmosphere, water quality, soil of production area of vegetables and fruits.

Technical Cooperation
he institute has established a wide network of academic exchange and sci-tech cooperation with international research counterparts, such as the scientists of Japan, Thailand, Philippine, Indonesia, America, Taiwan and Asian vegetable Research and Development Center, adding strength and versatility to our scientific efforts. Also, the institute has closer cooperation with domestic universities and institutes, especially in South china region.

Marketing
Yueshu Vegetable Seed Company is the branch of the institute. The company markets its products to commercial growers in more than 20 provinces in China through a network of dealers and distributors.