Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2025

doi:10.3724/CBB-2026-0074

Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2026, Vol. 61 ›› Issue (2): 187-212.DOI: 10.3724/CBB-2026-0074

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Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2025

Hongya Gu¹, Fan Chen², Jianru Zuo³, Langtao Xiao⁴, Zhaojun Ding⁵, Liwen Jiang⁶, Rongcheng Lin⁷, Zhiduan Chen⁸, Xiaoquan Qi⁸, Shuhua Yang⁹, Yongfei Bai⁸, Kang Chong^8*, Lei Wang^8*

¹School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; ²Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Sanya 572024, China; ³Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; ⁴College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; ⁵Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China; ⁶The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatian, China; ⁷Xianghu Lab, Hangzhou 311231, China; ⁸Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; ⁹College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China

Online:2026-03-10 Published:2026-04-06
Contact: Kang Chong; Lei Wang

Abstract

Abstract: In 2025, Chinese plant scientists achieved an explosive growth (a twofold increase) in the number of papers published in the three international comprehensive academic journals (Nature, Science, and Cell) compared to 2024. The number of papers published in mainstream plant science journals also continued to steadily increase relative to 2024. Significant research progress was made in fields such as plant hormones and secondary metabolism, plant biochemical analysis and bioinformatics, photosynthesis and light signaling, stress tolerance mechanisms, and plant systematics and evolution. Among them, “Epigenetic variation drives plant stress adaptation” and “AI-driven protein engineering enables breakthrough in precise chromosome manipulation” were selected as two of the “Top Ten Advances in Life Sciences in China” in 2025. Here we summarize the achievements of plant science research in China in 2025, and briefly introduces 160 representative important research advances, aiming to help readers understand the overall development trend of plant science in China and its position in international plant science, and to evaluate future research direction to meet major national strategic needs.

Key words: China, plant sciences, research advance, 2025

Hongya Gu, Fan Chen, Jianru Zuo, Langtao Xiao, Zhaojun Ding, Liwen Jiang, Rongcheng Lin, Zhiduan Chen, Xiaoquan Qi, Shuhua Yang, Yongfei Bai, Kang Chong, Lei Wang. Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2025[J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2026, 61(2): 187-212.

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https://www.chinbullbotany.com/EN/Y2026/V61/I2/187

[1]	Hongya Gu, Fan Chen, Rongcheng Lin, Xiaoquan Qi, Shuhua Yang, Zhiduan Chen, Xuewei Chen, Zhaojun Ding, Langtao Xiao, Jianru Zuo, Liwen Jiang, Yongfei Bai, Kang Chong, Lei Wang. Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2024 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2025, 60(2): 151-171.
[2]	Fan Chen, Hongya Gu, Xiaoquan Qi, Rongcheng Lin, Qian Qian, Langtao Xiao, Shuhua Yang, Jianru Zuo, Yongfei Bai, Zhiduan Chen, Zhaojun Ding, Xiaojing Wang, Liwen Jiang, Kang Chong, Lei Wang. Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2023 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2024, 59(2): 171-187.
[3]	Shuhua Yang, Qian Qian, Jianru Zuo, Hongya Gu, Xiaoquan Qi, Rongcheng Lin, Fan Chen, Xiaojing Wang, Xiao Langtao, Yongfei Bai, Liwen Jiang, Lei Wang, Zhiduan Chen, Kang Chong, Tai Wang. Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2022 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2023, 58(2): 175-188.
[4]	Fan Chen, Hongya Gu, Xiaoquan Qi, Qian Qian, Jianru Zuo, Shuhua Yang, Zhiduan Chen, Lei Wang, Rongcheng Lin, Liwen Jiang, Xiaojing Wang, Langtao Xiao, Yongfei Bai, Kang Chong, Tai Wang. Achievements and Advances in the Plant Sciences in China in 2021 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2022, 57(2): 139-152.
[5]	Hongya Gu, Jianru Zuo, Xiaoquan Qi, Shuhua Yang, Zhiduan Chen, Qian Qian, Rongcheng Lin, Lei Wang, Langtao Xiao, Xiaojing Wang, Fan Chen, Liwen Jiang, Yongfei Bai, Kang Chong, Tai Wang. Achievements and Advances in the Plant Sciences Field in China in 2020 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2021, 56(2): 119-133.
[6]	Jianru Zuo, Xiaoquan Qi, Rongcheng Lin, Qian Qian, Hongya Gu, Fan Chen, Shuhua Yang, Zhiduan Chen, Yongfei Bai, Lei Wang, Xiaojing Wang, Liwen Jiang, Langtao Xiao, Kang Chong, Tai Wang. Achievements and Advance in Chinese Plant Sciences in 2019 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2020, 55(3): 257-269.
[7]	Qian Qian, Xiaoquan Qi, Rongcheng Lin, Shuhua Yang, Aiwu Dong, Jianru Zuo, Fan Chen, Langtao Xiao, Hongya Gu, Zhiduan Chen, Yongfei Bai, Xiaojing Wang, Lei Wang, Liwen Jiang, Kang Chong, Tai Wang. Research Advances in Plant Science in China in 2018 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2019, 54(4): 405-440.
[8]	Chen Fan, Qian Qian, Wang Tai, Dong Aiwu, Qi Xiaoquan, Zuo Jianru, Yang Shuhua, Lin Rongcheng, Xiao Langtao, Gu Hongya, Chen Zhiduan, Jiang Liwen, Bai Yongfei, Kong Hongzhi, Chong Kang. Research Advances in Plant Science in China in 2017 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2018, 53(4): 391-440.
[9]	Bi Guozhi, Zhou Jianmin. China Takes Long Stride in Plant-microbe Interactions Research [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2017, 52(6): 685-688.
[10]	. Research Advances in Plant Science in China in 2016 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2017, 52(4): 394-452.
[11]	Yanjun Jing, Rongcheng Lin. Advances in Light Signaling Transduction Research in China [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2017, 52(3): 257-270.
[12]	Gan Xie, Jiade Bai, Jingxian Xu, Hui Hao, Jinfeng Li, Yifeng Yao, Linyuan Zhang, Chengsen Li, Jian Yang, Yufei Wang. Research Advances in the Vegetation and Climate of the Beijing Region, North China Since the Holocene [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2016, 51(6): 872-881.
[13]	Shuhua Yang, Tai Wang, Qian Qian, Xiaojing Wang, Jianru Zuo, Hongya Gu, Liwen Jiang, Zhiduan Chen, Yongfei Bai, Hongzhi Kong, Fan Chen, Langtao Xiao, Aiwu Dong, Kang Chong. Research Advances on Plant Science in China in 2015 [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2016, 51(4): 416-472.
[14]	Jing Leng, Wenguo Wang, Wenjuan Liu, Weimin Li, Quansheng Du, Mingzhang Wen. Trends of the Plant Science in China Analyzed Through National Nature Science Foundation of China Funded Projects [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2016, 51(3): 369-376.
[15]	Yunjun Bai, Xueping Wei, Feng Qin, Yameng Li, Jinfeng Li, Parminder S. Ranhotra, Yufei Wang. Research Highlights of the Vegetation, Climate and Atmospheric CO₂ in Yushe Basin, Shanxi, North China During the Plio-Pleistocene Transition [J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2016, 51(2): 257-264.

Achievements and Advances of Plant Sciences Research in China in 2025

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