Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) was founded in April 1960. Over more than 60 years of development, it has grown into a comprehensive local agricultural research institute featuring relatively complete disciplines, advanced facilities, high academic standards and strong capacity for achievement transformation, providing solid support for agricultural development in Shanghai and across China.

At present, SAAS has 13 research divisions, including Research Center for Crop Breeding, Research Center for Agricultural Biomanufacturing, Research Center for Modern Agricultural Facilities and Smart Equipment, Research Center for Smart Agriculture, Research Center for Vertical Farming,Research Center for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Research Center for Animal Science and Health, Research Center for Modern Fisheries, Research Center for Green and Low-Carbon Agriculture, Research Center for Agricultural Biosafety, Agrobiological Gene Center, Crop Breeding Phenotyping Center and Agricultural Research and Experiment Center. SAAS hosts a total of 72 scientific and technological innovation platforms at all levels, including 17 national platforms, 29 ministerial platforms, 25 provincial and municipal platforms, and 5 international cooperation platforms. It currently operates 3 National Engineering Technology Research Centers, 10 Key Laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (6 under trial operation), 2 Shanghai Key Laboratories, and 7 Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Centers. The library holds more than 300,000 Chinese and foreign books and periodicals.

SAAS has 859 in-service staff as of December 2025, including 818 professional and technical personnel, 15 national and local leading talents, 438 researchers with senior professional titles (159 professors/research fellows), and 748 postgraduates (404 PhD holders). 59 experts enjoy the Special Government Allowance of the State Council. One postdoctoral research workstation is available. 8 major advantageous disciplines (fields) have been established: germplasm innovation, popularization and application of grain and oil crops; breeding and efficient cultivation of new horticultural crop varieties; germplasm creation and industrialization technologies for edible and medicinal fungi; breeding of new livestock and poultry varieties and healthy breeding; ecological agriculture and green prevention and control of plant diseases and pests; quality safety, preservation and processing technologies of agricultural products; agricultural biotechnology and resource evaluation and utilization; modern agricultural economics and digital agriculture technologies.SAAS carries out scientific and technological exchanges and collaborative research with more than 40 countries and regions. It edits and publishes seven academic and technical journals, including Acta Agriculturae Shanghai, Acta Edulis Fungi and Edible Fungi. Three major sci-tech industries are prioritized for cultivation: seeds and seedlings, edible and medicinal fungi, and biological vaccines. Its sci-tech services are rooted in Shanghai, radiate the Yangtze River Delta and serve the whole country, with more than 300 demonstration bases for new varieties and technologies across Shanghai and other regions of China. Over the past 60 years, SAAS has obtained 420 sci-tech awards at ministerial, municipal and higher levels, including 31 national sci-tech awards and 38 first prizes of ministerial and municipal Science and Technology Progress Awards. It has acquired over 2547 patents, plant variety rights and varieties approved/recognized, among which 163 varieties are nationally approved/recognized. A total of 9470 papers have been published. Since 1993, it has won the title of Shanghai Civilized Unit for fifteen consecutive times and was awarded National Civilized Unit in 2011.

Faced with the new situation, SAAS will always take scientific and technological innovation as the foundation of the institute. Its fundamental mission is to accelerate agricultural scientific and technological progress and raise the level of agricultural science and technology, and its fundamental purpose is to promote stable agricultural development and sustained income growth for farmers. By vigorously implementing agricultural sci-tech innovation projects, popularizing and applying research achievements, actively carrying out sci-tech cooperation and joint development, and conducting comprehensive farmer training, SAAS will make new and greater contributions to advancing urban-rural integration in Shanghai, enabling Shanghai to take the lead in realizing agricultural modernization, implementing the rural revitalization strategy, and building an agricultural powerhouse.