1. Introduction

Principal Investigator: Prof. Fengwang Ma

Professor of College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, the President of Horticultural College, Director of Resource Innovation and Variety Design Laboratory of State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, and Director of Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple.The research direction is mainly about apple stress biology, including drought, salinity, chilling, low nitrogen, and biotic stresses in the Loess Plateau, the major apple production area in China. The research topics includeidentification of special germplasms and genes in Malus, physiological and molecular mechanism of stress resistance,fruit quality regulation under stress conditions,breeding of apple stress resistance,Malus stress-resistant germplasm innovation, and efficient utilization of fertilizer and water for apple in the arid area.

Concurrent Academic Appointment

Deputy Director, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Dry Areas and Director of Resource Innovation and Variety Design

Director, International Union Apple Research Center

Chief Expert, Luochuan Apple Experimental Station, Yan'an City, Northwest A & F University

Vice-President of Chinese Horticultural Society (Apple cultivation), Vice-President of Shaanxi Horticultural Society, Vice-President of Shaanxi Fruit Tree Variety Appraisal Committee, and Member of Shaanxi Forest Tree Variety Appraisal Committee

2.Main Research Fields & Contents

Collection and Evaluation of Apple Resistance Germplasm Resources

Molecular Mechanism and Regulation of Stress Resistance in Apple Germplasm Resources

Molecular Biology and Breeding of Apple Stress Resistance

Physiological and Molecular Genetic Mechanism of Efficient Utilization of Fertilizer and Water in Apple in Arid Area

Biology and Regulation of Apple Fruit Quality in an Arid Region

Germplasm Creation and Breeding of Resistant Apples

3.Major Projects Undertaken

Molecular Mechanism and Genetic Analysis of High Water Use Efficiency in Apple under Drought Stress

Modern Apple Industry System-Biotechnology and Resistance Breeding

Breeding of New Apple Drought-Resistant Dwarf Rootstock

Research and Demonstration on Key Technology for Upgrading the Apple Industry in Shaanxi Dryland

Molecular Mechanism and Breeding of Apple Stress Resistance

Research and Demonstration of Water-Based Fertilizer Regulation Technology in Apple Orchard

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4. Team Members

Dr. Qingmei Guan, Professor of the College of Horticulture ,

Research Description:Molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stress (extreme temperatures and water deficits) and molecular marker-assisted apple breeding.

Dr. Pengmin Li, Professor of the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:The research mainly focuses on flavonoids' metabolism and biofunction in Malusplants.

Dr. Mingjun Li, Professor of the College of Horticulture,

Research Description: The main goal is to analyze the formation and regulation mechanisms of apple quality (e.g., sugar and organic acid) from the perspectives of cultivation physiology, molecular biology, and genetics, and to carry out related molecular breeding and cultivation techniques.

Dr. Chao Li,Professor of the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Regulation of secondary metabolites on stress resistance in apples and apple mutation breeding.

Dr. Tao Zhao, Professor of the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Phylogenomic approach for comparative studies in Rosaceae; Integration of multi-omics data to understand the evolution of important traits (nutrient utilization efficiency, characteristics of flowering, pollination, fruitfulness, quality formation, etc.); Germplasm resource innovations by genome editing in apples.

Dr. Cuiying Li, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:The research direction is apple stress biology, mainly including the evaluation and utilization of apple germplasm resources, apple anti-stress mechanisms, and apple rootstock breeding.

Dr. Jingying Liu, Associate Professor in the College of Life Sciences,

Research Description:The research direction is apple stress biology, mainly including the evaluation and utilization of apple germplasm resources, apple anti-stress mechanisms, and apple rootstock breeding.

Dr. Xiaoqing Gong,Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Mechanisms of apple respondse to drought and low nitrogen stress.

Dr. Changhai Liu, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Molecular apple tree-pathogen interaction.

Dr. Jidi Xu,Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:The mechanism of epigenetic regulation in apples interacts with environmental factors and developmental clues.

Dr. Baiquan Ma, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Studies on apple fruit quality biology mainly focus on molecular genetic regulation of organic acid accumulation.

Dr. Ke Mao, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Involved in apple abiotic stress regulation mechanism analysis and apple water efficiency utilization under adversity-related research.

Dr. Xiaolin Song, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Research and engineering practice on rainwater resource utilization technology and water/nutrients management for apple orchards in dryland areas.

Dr. Wei Liang, Lecturer at the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:①Genetic diversity of Malus germplasm resources and reveal the taxonomy and evolutionary relationship of Malus species based on molecular markers. ②Identification of Marssonina apple blotch resistant genes in resistant varieties of the Malus genus based on the linkage mapping construction and QTL mapping strategy to develop tightly linked molecular markers for MAS.

Dr. Yaqiang Sun, Lecturer at the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms between scion and stock of an apple in abiotic stress, mobile RNAs.

Dr. Xuewei Li, Lecturer at the College of Horticulture,

Research Description:Molecular mechanisms of apple tree high water use efficiency underdroughtstress.