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Environment and Plant Protection Research Institute

Author:No From:Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences Date:2017-09-28 Hits:
       1. Overview
     Environment and Plant Protection Research Institute (EPPRI), Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences is a national research institution, established in 1954, with 131 staff in 20 research groups under 6 research centers, including 53 senior scientists, 56 PhD holders, 36 supervisors for master and PhD candidates. 

    The mission of EPPRI is to seek solutions to the main problems theoretically and economically of important tropical crops and environmental protection in China, committing to develop and extend research achievements in plant protection to the tropical agricultural industry, to promote eco-agriculture in tropical China for environmental protection purposes, and develop international collaboration and exchange in the mandated area.

     EPPRI pays more attention to monitor and control of important tropical pests, early warning and controlling of invasive species, bio-control resources research and utilization, innovation and application of tropical plant protection resources. Other high priorities include tropical fruit and vegetable post-harvest storage and transport, ecological agriculture, environmental safety assessment and pollution control, and important pathogen functional genomics research. Besides research activity, EPPRI is committed to provide technical services to farmers in the tropical area.

      In the last decades, EPPRI has developed a successful technology to control the coconut leaf beetle by using parasitoids, also use natural enemies to control the important rubber tree pests -- Cerococcusquercus Comstock and six-spotted mite. Testing, monitoring and control technology of important rubber tree leaf disease have been developed. The emergency prevention and the control technology of invasive spiral whitefly were also invented.

        2. Contact Information 
 
          Research Office: Tel: +86-898-66969233
                                      Fax: +86-898-66969211
                                      E-mail: hzs23304892@vip.163.com
          Address: No. 4 Xueyuan Road, Longhua District, Haikou, Hainan, 571101, P. R. China
 
         3. Research Areas 
        The EPPRI is mainly engaged in the basic and applied research on pests & disease detection and control for major tropical crops including rubber tree, cassava, oil palm, sugarcane, banana, mango, litchi, longan, coconut, areca nut, melon and vegetables, etc., on agricultural environment protection and pollution control, ecological or circular agriculture, and environmental impact assessment and risk analysis.

        There are eight areas for EPPRI studies: (1) Monitoring and control of tropical important pest, (2) Early warning and controlling of invasive species, (3) Bio-control resources research and utilization, (4) Innovation and application of tropical plant protection resources, (5) Tropical fruit and vegetable post-harvest storage and transport, (6) Ecological agriculture, (7) Environmental safety assessment and pollution control, and (8) Important pathogen functional genomics research.  

        4. Main Achievements 
EPPRI has accomplished over 90 achievements at national and ministerial level, 26 national patents authorized, and preparation and revision of 41 agricultural industry standards for Ministry of Agriculture and 13 for Hainan Province, and over 1500 scientific articles and 30 monographs published.

      In the last decades, the coconut leaf beetle has caused big damage to coconut industry in Hainan. Parasitoids of Asecodes hispinarum Bouek and Tetrastichus brontispae Ferriere were introduced to solve this problem. A companion predator release technology was developed specially. These technologies helped to reduce direct economic losses of more than 56 million RMB and made the environment much better, as was awarded a special prize by Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology. 


 
       Rubber pests damage and diseases affection are the big threaten to rubber plantation industry. EPPRI was committed to develop methods for the control of Parasaissetia nigra Nietner and Eotetranychus sexmaculatus (Riley), which are important pests of rubber tree. Application of these techniques by the plantation sector has resulted in a gain of additional output at the value of about RMB 264 million each year. This achievement was awarded first prize by Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology in 2011.

        Besides pests of rubber tree, control studies were also made on important diseases of rubber tree, such as Corynespora leaf fall disease (clfd), collectrichum leaf disease, and powdery mildew. For these three diseases, the genetic diversity has been found and molecular detection techniques have been used. A test product named Bao Ye Qing for the control of the diseases was developed. Achievement of this project was awarded the first prize by Hainan Provincial Department of Science and Technology in 2012.


 
          Spiral whitefly can damage vegetables and pollute environment. The emergency prevention and control technology system, chemical control technology, and biological control techniques based on local natural enemies were developed, and a nice control result was achieved, as was awarded a first prize by Hainan Province in 2012.
    World Tropical Zone