Baoji Modernizes Agriculture With Bio-Breeding Innovations

Researchers at the Baoji Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Shaanxi province are using molecular breeding, gene editing, shoot-tip detoxification and microspore culture to develop higher-yielding, disease-resistant crop varieties, enabling three to four breeding generations annually. Local adoption has raised yields—e.g., Baodou No 10 soybean from 135 kg to 275 kg per half hectare and Qinshu 13 sweet potato up to 6,000 kg per mu—contributing to Baoji's agricultural output rising to 42 billion yuan in 2024.