1. Introduction

Principal Investigator:Dr. Youben Yu,

Professor of College of Horticulture, focusingon Genetic Breeding and Biotechnology of Tea Plant.

Concurrent Academic Appointment

The executive director of Hanzhong comprehensive station of the National Tea Industry Technology System, post scientist of tea breeding of the "Shaanxi Province Tea Industry Technology System,"and director of the Tea Research Institute of Northwest A&F University.

2. Main Research Fields & Contents

1）Tea Plant Germplasm Resource Innovation;

2）Tea Plant Physiological Ecology;

3）Tea Plant Secondary Metabolism and Quality Chemistry;

4）Tea Processing and Comprehensive Utilization.

3. Major Projects Undertaken

The National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA,Major Project of the Science and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Tea Industry Technology System of Shaanxi Province, the Agricultural Special Fund Project of Shaanxi Province, Major Extensive Project of the Ministry of Finance, Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, Special Foundation for Tea Industry of Shaanxi Province, scientific and technological innovation project of Shaanxi Forestry Research Institute,and so on.

4.Academic achievements

At present, we have collected 343 tea germplasm resources and the systematical evaluation has beencompleted in our university. The first improved variety of tea plantCamellia sinensis‘ShaanCha 1’in Shaanxi province has been bred. In addition, our group have analyzed the effect of various abiotic stresses on the physiological property and quality of tea plant, and researched the molecular mechanisms in response to these abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we have developed series of green, black and Fuzhuan tea products with diverse technologies pertinent to tea production being remarkably advanced and extensively applied, including clonal breeding of tea plant, increase the production of low-yielding tea plantation, comprehensive utilization of tea resources in summer and autumn, clean processing of tea and prevention of pest in tea plantation. We have cultivated 1 improved variety of national-level tea plant and obtained 2 national invention patents with over 200 papers and 9 books.

5. Team Members

Research group conduct the research supported by Hanzhong Comprehensive Station of National tea industry technology system, Tea Research Institute of Northwest A&F University, the Public Research Platform of the College of Horticulture, and the Tea Science and Technology Demonstration Station of Northwest A&F University. The research members include 2 professor, associate professor, young lecturers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

Dr. Chunmei Gong, Professor of the College of Horticulture.

Research Description: Development and signal transduction of Tea plant in response to stress.

Dr. Tianshan Zhou, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture.

Research Description:Tea processing and tea biochemistry.

Dr. Weidong Wang, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture.

Research Description: Physiological and molecular mechanisms of tea plant response to abiotic stress.

Dr. Lu Bao, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture.

Research Description: Collection, evaluation and utilization of tea plant germplasm resource.

Dr. Juan Bai, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture.

Research Description: Regulation of tea secondary metabolism; Plant-Environment Interaction; Developmental Biology

Dr. QingshanXu, Associate Professor in the College of Horticulture.

Research Description:The Plant Aroma Substances Metabolism and Stress Adaptation.

Research Description:Extraction and Activity Analysis of Functional Components of Tea;Growth and Development of Tea Plant Under Biotic Stress

Research Description: Tea Quality and Safety

Research Description:Resistance mechanism of tea plant against disease and Secondary metabolism of tea plant.