Date: 2014-07-07

History and Development of Department of Pomology
The first master’s degree-granting and doctorate-granting was respectively established in 1986 and 2000, approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People's Republic of China. The department of pomology is a key discipline in Jiangsu Province, it is also a part of the State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement. The platform of department supports the construction of China Pear Center for Research and Development of National Modern Agriculture Industrial Technology, National Field Genebank for Prunus mume and Waxberry, and Fruit Tree Cultivar Improvement and Seed Breeding Development Engineering Center of Jiangsu Province.

Faculty Awards and Honors
There are 28 faculty members, including 11 professors and two associate professors, one faculty member was awarded “Special Allowance Prize” by the State Council, China; one faculty member was awarded “Youth Science and Technology Award”, China; two faculty members were awarded “New Century Excellent Talents” by the Ministry of Education, China; one faculty member was awarded “Innovation & Entrepreneurship talent introduction plan ” of Jiangsu province, two faculty members were awarded “333 talent project” (one at the first level) of Jiangsu province, one faculty member was awarded “Young academic leaders training object”, one faculty member was awarded “Young academic leader” of “Qing Lan Project” in Jiangsu province respectively; one faculty member was awarded “six talents program” in Jiangsu province, three faculty members were awarded “321 talent project” in Nanjing. Furthermore, 14 faculties have the research training experience going abroad more than one year.

Main Research Interests
1) Fruit Germplasm Resources and Genetic Breeding;
2) Fruit Physiological Ecology and Production Technology;
3) Fruit Molecular Biology and Genomics;
4) Fruit Developmental Biology and Cell Signal Transduction

Funds and Financial Support
The department supported by more than 100 scientific research projects, the total research funding more than 60 million RMB, including National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Modern Agriculture Industrial Technology R & D Center System; National Department of Public Benefit Agro-scientific Research; Ministry of Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Project; National “863” Projects; Ministry of Agriculture "948" Projects; National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province and Fund for “six talents program” etc.

Publications and Awards
Up to now, over 700 scientific papers have been published, of which 300 papers were published in peer reviewed journals collected by Web of Science. These journals included Genome Research, The Plant Journal, New Physiologist, BMC Genomics, etc. A series academic monograph and textbooks were written and published by faculty members, such as ‘Pear Science’, ‘Molecular Biology of Pomology’, ‘General Introduction of Horticulture’ etc. The achievement of ‘Pear self-pollinated germplasm innovation and application’ obtained the second prize for National Scientific and Technological progress in 2011; the “Pear tree trim shape with high efficiency light-using, flower and fruit management technology development and application” received the first prize of Technology Invention of The Ministry of Education in 2013, and other more than 10 of technical achievements awarded at provincal and ministerial levels. Furthermore, the work group of Pear Reproductive Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Team has won the “Huanai Horticulture Technology Award” by Horticultural Science Society, China, in 2013.

Patents, Standards and New Cultivar rights
More than 70 national patents have been cumulatively applied, out of which, more than 40 national invention patents have been authorized. A total of 30 provincial standards were set. 12 new cultivars were released, including pear, grape, Japanese plum, etc.

Talent Training and International Collaboration and Cooperation
We are focusing on talent training and international cooperation projects. For example, one student’s thesis has obtained the “National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation”, one student’s thesis has obtained the “Nomination Award for the National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation” ,three thesis won the “Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of Jiangsu Province”, one thesis get the “Excellent Master’s Dissertation of Jiangsu Province”. The department has established long-term international relationships in the production, studying and researching exchanges, and cooperation with many universities and institutions from other countries, including Japan, United States, Israel, England, Canada, New Zealand, Italy and so on.