Date: 2014-07-03

History of Department of Ornamental Horticulture: The first founded bachelor in 1983, and the first founded master’s degree-granting stations of Ornamental Horticulture in 1989 approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People's Republic of China.
Faculty awards and honors: There are 15 faculty members including five professors and five associate professors, four “New Century Excellent Talents” by the Ministry of Education, China, one “333 talent project” (the second level) of Jiangsu province, two “333 talent project” (the third level), two “University Key Teachers”, two “Young academic leader” of “Qing Lan Project” in Jiangsu pronvince respectively, two remarkable young researcher of “Zhong Shan Programme”, and one “six talents programme” in Jiangsu pronvince.
Nursery and germplasm centers: There are “Prunus mume Cultivar Resources Center”, and “China Chrysanthemum Germplasm Resources Conservation Center” (25 acres), the totol area is reached to 33 acres including 36000 m2 glass greenhouses and multi-span greenhouses, where more than 3,000 mum cultivars and its related wild species were conserved, ranking the top in China.
Funds and financial support: The department receives more than 100 scientific research projects, including National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Foundation of the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements; Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education of China (NCET); National “863” Projects; National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Fund for National Department of Public Benefit Agro-scientific Research and Fund for Creative Youth Talents of Jiangsu Province etc.
Main research interests: The department has advantages of chrysanthemum germplasm resources collection, conservation, breeding of new cultivars, standardized production technology, and the superiority of somatic embryogenesis of Anthura and tropical orchid. More than 300 new cultivars of chrysanthemums have been bred so far.
Patents and new variety rights: There are forty patents, thirty-four mum new variety, 16 provincial-level identified mum new variety rights, twelve international registration species of prunus mume cultivars.
Awards and publications: The ‘Collection, conservation, investigation and utilization of germplasm resources of mums’ obtained the second prize for Science and Technology Progress by Jiangsu in 2003; the ‘Breeding and extension of new varieties of mums’ received the second prize for progress in Science and Technology by Ministry of Agriculture in 2007; the ‘Germplasm Innovation and breeding of new cultivars of mums’ project won the second prize for Progress in Science and Technology by Chinese Ministry of Education in 2008; the ‘primary flower varieties, cultivation technologies and popularization’ obtained the first prize of Agricultural Technology Extension by Jiangsu in 2011; the ‘The key technologies of primary merchandise potted flower breeding and industrialization utilization’ got the Second prize of National Scientific and Technological progress in 2011 (the third main contribution insititute).
A series books were produced by faculty members, such as ‘Chinses Chrysanthemum’, ‘Ornamental Horticulture Science’ ‘General Introduction of Ornamental Horticulture’ etc. Up to now, over 400 scientific papers were published, of which 80 papers were published in peer reviewed journals represented by BMC Biology, Genome Biology and Evolution, BMC Genomics, BMC Plant Biology, PLoS ONE, Planta, Molecular Breeding etc.
International collaboration and cooperation: The department has established long-term internatoinal relationships in the production, studying and researching exchanges and cooperation with many contries, including Japan, Holland, United states, Denmark, Belgium, Korea and so on.