Based on the unique medicinal plant resource endowments of the Yunnan Plateau, the team integrated sequencing data of germplasm resources, field big data of agronomic traits and detection data of medicinal active ingredients. By comprehensively adopting technical approaches including molecular marker-assisted breeding, bioinformatic analysis and standardized cultivation trials, the team has solved industrial bottlenecks such as germplasm degradation, uneven quality and insufficient supporting technologies for large-scale cultivation of plateau medicinal herbs. A complete system for high-quality germplasm innovation and practical application of plateau traditional Chinese medicinal herbs has been established.
Key Findings
A systematic survey on wild germplasm resources of more than 20 authentic traditional Chinese medicinal herbs native to the Yunnan Plateau was completed, together with the construction of a genetic resource database. A batch of core breeding materials with high medicinal efficacy and strong stress resistance were screened out.
A molecular breeding marker system suitable for the cool climate of plateau regions was developed. Multiple new high-quality varieties of medicinal herbs were bred directionally, achieving remarkable improvements in herb yield and the content of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Supporting technical specifications for green standardized cultivation were formulated, forming a full-chain technical system covering germplasm propagation, large-scale planting and primary processing. The overall research outcomes won the Special Prize of the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.
The above achievements were honored with the Special Prize of the 2021 Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.