Established on August 12, 2021, Institute of Rocky Desertification Control (IRDC) was founded through a joint initiative between GIIT and the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISA-CAS), implementing the strategic cooperation framework established in 2020 between the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Leveraging ISA-CAS's scientific platforms, IRDC focuses on:

• Rocky Desertification Control &      Ecological Restoration;

• Karst mountain ecosystem rehabilitation      and sustainable land management;

• Specialty Agricultural Industries      Development;

• Climate-resilient crop systems and      endemic species cultivation

• Agricultural Pollution Mitigation;

• Farmland heavy-metal contamination      remediation;

• Non-point source pollution control;

• Bio-organic fertilizer R&D;

• Livestock Circular Agriculture;

• Integrated crop-livestock systems and      precision husbandry.

I. Core Business

·     1. Karst Rocky Desertification Control

Relying on the CAS Huanjiang Station for Karst Agro-ecosystem Research, IRDC targets international scientific frontiers in karst ecosystems. It develops smart monitoring technologies for full-element ecosystem observation and establishes high-value ecological agriculture demonstration bases in fragile regions. It has formed a replicable model for comprehensive rocky desertification control, providing scientific solutions for ecological security and rural development in the Southwestern area in China.

·     2. Farmland Safe Utilization

·     Utilizing the Long-term Monitoring Center for Heavy Metal Contaminated Farmland, IRDC conducts sustained research on the migration and transformation mechanisms of heavy metals in soil-water-plant systems. It also develops low heavy-metal-accumulation crop varieties, new crop varieties with low heavy metal accumulation and establishes a long-term "VIP+N"  (Variety-Interception-Purging + Nutrient management) control mechanism for heavy metal-contaminated farmland.

·     3. Rural Wastewater Treatment

Supported by the CAS Changsha Agro-Environmental Observation and Research Station, IRDC focuses on ecological treatment of livestock farm waste pollution, integrated ecological treatment of decentralized rural domestic sewage, and ecological management of agricultural non-point source pollution. It innovates technologies such as Straw-based Treatment for High-load Rural Wastewater, Efficient Resource Utilization of Myriophyllum elatinoides, and keeps promoting achievement transformation and application demonstrations.

·     4. Bio-organic Fertilizer R&D

Targeting Guangxi's specialty crops, IRDC screens beneficial microorganisms and modified functional materials for disease control. It develops bio-organic fertilizers that suppress diseases, enhance soil fertility, and improve soil microecology, advancing industrial production and demonstration .

II. Innovation Platforms

• CAS Huanjiang Karst      Ecosystem Observation and Research Station ( National Station) 

• Guangxi Engineering      Technology Research Center for Rocky Desertification Control 

• Guangxi Key Laboratory of      Karst Ecological Processes and Services 

• CAS Changsha      Agro-Environmental Observation and Research Station

• CAS Key Laboratory of      Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region 

• Livestock Health Breeding      and Agro-pastoral Complex Ecology Research Center