Kickoff meeting for national key R&D programs Feature of fate and quantification standard of chemical pesticides in different planting systems in China, presided by Prof. DONG Fengshou from Institute of Plant Protection (IPP), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and Key technology of chemical pesticide with synergistic effect and the R&D, presided by Prof. JIANG Hongyun from IPP-CAAS, was successfully held in Beijing on 20-21 September, 2016. Deputy Director General CHEN Youquan, Department of Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Director NING Minghui, Division of Plant Protection and Quarantine, Department of Crop Production, MOA, Deputy Director LIAN Qing, Center of Science and Technology, MOA, Deputy Director General LU Jianzhong, Department of Research Management, CAAS, and Professor and Deputy Director General ZHANG Bujiang, IPP-CAAS, were present at the meeting. DDG ZHENG Yongquan chaired the kickoff meeting.

DDG ZHANG Bujiang addressed the meeting on behalf of the program supporting institution. He expressed the gratefulness to the trust and support from the leaders and partners of the programs. He emphasized that as the program supporting institution, IPP would pay attention to the monitoring and management duty during the implementation of the programs to ensure the smooth implementation.

DDG CHEN Youquan pointed out that the launch of the programs for reducing the chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, i.e., so-called two reduction programs, marked the action taken by MOA, targeting the flat growth of chemical fertilizer and pesticide, had been risen to the action of the Central Government. This embodied adequately that the Government paid great attention to the programs for reducing the chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. The launch of the programs reflected the expectation from all sectors of the society. Institutions in agriculture, plant protection and the member institutions of the programs needed to well understand the importance and arduous task of the programs. He emphasized at the same time that it was needed to integrate resources, work collaboratively, grasp the direction of the research, and focus on practical application of the technologies during the implementation of the programs. The outcomes of the programs should be integrated, demonstrated, exhibited, matured and extended in demonstration bases. Such, the overall level of pesticide application could be lifted.

Director ZHANG Zhenhua emphasized that, during the implementation of the programs, the members of the programs must stick to the agricultural production and strengthen the inter-docking between sci-tech and economy, innovated achievement and industry, innovation of the program and practical productivity, and the innovative work of R&D personnel and their benefit. The members of the programs must adhere to the relevancy to production, the contribution of the research outcome to reduction of pesticide use and environmental protection, and the innovativeness that promote the development of multidiscipline. He asked also the actions should be taken with joint collaboration on one platform with a single target and the member institutions. Different disciplines and techniques should be matured and assorted at one single demonstration site.

Deputy Director LIAN Qing pointed out that taking on the programs was both honor and duty. He hoped the program supporting institution supervised well the program in concert with MOA and CAAS during the implementation of the programs. The institutions that were in charge of the programs and the subjects needed to perform the management duties and set up impeccable inner control management regimes for the research and the accounting affairs. He suggested at the same time that the current two programs needed to link well with other two reduction programs and to integrate the existing resources so as to jointly collaborate and innovate, and to complete satisfactorily the targets of the programs.

DDG LU Jianzhong pointed out that the two programs focused on the major issues in the development of the agricultural industry and related closely with the agricultural situation and the development in China. The programs were carried out together by dozens of institutions. The management of the programs would be very difficult. The supporting and undertaking institutions should exert fully the role of the main part of duty, unify understanding of the targets, organize effective implementation and fulfill the mission.

On behalf of the two chief scientists, Prof. DONG Fengshou, the chief scientist of a program, promised seriously that the members of the programs would unit as one, work together and meet challenging completion of tasks of the two programs.

At the kickoff meeting, chief scientists of the two programs and the head scientists of the subjects reported their respective implementation plan. Scientists in consultant group checked strictly and provided advices. A training course was provided to the participants of the program Key technology of chemical pesticide with synergistic effect and the R&D. The trainers included Profs. GAO Xiwu and DU Fengpei from China Agricultural University, Prof. ZHOU Mingguo from Nanjing Agricultural University, Prof. LI Xiangju from IPP-CAAS, and Senior Engineer ZHANG Zongjian from Central Research Institute of China Chemical Science and Technology. After the discussion of the consultant experts and participants of the meeting, the technical requirement of the two programs was more meticulous and unified and the work plan was more scientific and optimized. Such efforts laid solid foundation for smooth implementation of the programs.

More than 180 people, including leaders and scientists, from the program supporting and member institutions were present at the meeting.