Profile

Director of the Eucommia Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry Administration; breeder of 'Huazhong' fruit-use varieties.

Story

Li Fangdong, born in March 1963 in Taikang, Henan, is a research professor and doctoral supervisor at the Research Institute of Non-timber Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry. He formerly served as Director of the Non-timber Forestry Research and Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Forestry (Eucommia Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry Administration). He is a recipient of the State Council Special Government Allowance and a nationally recognized young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions. He long led the institute's Eucommia science and technology innovation team, organizing the breeding of series of improved varieties for fruit-use, male-flower, leaf-use and combined fruit-timber-medicine purposes, filling China's gap in improved Eucommia varieties.

He led the establishment of the Eucommia Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry Administration, promoted the mapping of the fine whole-genome of Eucommia and the compilation of the Illustrated Flora of Eucommia in China, and took the lead in building a Eucommia standards complex (9 industry standards covering improved variety breeding, grafting and nursery propagation, and fruit/leaf/male-flower cultivation). He also pioneered the extension system for orchard-style Eucommia cultivation, jointly promoting the Eucommia variety series in Hunan, Shandong, Gansu and Henan through project cooperation, making an organizational contribution to the transformation of Eucommia from traditional bark-peeling medicinal use to modern whole-industry-chain development.

Milestones

• On 26 November 2014, presided over the Beijing press conference announcing completion of the fine whole-genome map of Eucommia and release of the Illustrated Flora of Eucommia in China
• Editor-in-chief of the Green Book of the Eucommia Industry: Report on Eucommia Rubber Resources and Industry Development in China (2014-2015)
• Promoted the orchard-style Eucommia cultivation model and the establishment of a system of 9 forestry industry standards for Eucommia

Key Contributions

• Served as Director of the Non-timber Forestry Research and Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Forestry (Eucommia Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry Administration), leading the national Eucommia research team
• As a breeder, developed fruit-use improved Eucommia varieties including 'Huazhong 7', 'Huazhong 8' and 'Huazhong 10', all nationally certified
• Served as Director of the editorial board of the Illustrated Flora of Eucommia in China and deputy head of the Eucommia project group of a major national conditions survey program
• Recipient of the State Council Special Government Allowance; recognized as a national young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions
• Co-inventor of early Eucommia patents such as 'Eucommia male-flower tea and its processing technology' (1999)