1. Institute History
Institute of Food Crops of HNAAS is a non-profit province-owned institute regrouped in 2000 by the former Rice Research Institute and Institute of Upland Crops according to Hainan provincial requirements on scientific and technical system reform. It conducts researches on food crops germplasm resource, genetic breeding, cultivation physiology and molecular biology and functions as an innovation center in the field of cereal and food sciences, an international cooperation center and a talent training base.

2. Research Orientation
With “Four Orientations” as requirement, “the first-class research institute in the tropical regions”, and "serving the development of Hainan's food crops, serving the national strategy of southern propagation, and promoting exchanges of food crops in the tropical regions of the world" as the task. Institute of food crops of HNAAS will focus on food crops such as tropical rice (including wild rice), maize, potatoes, edible soybeans, peanuts, etc. conducts researches centered on the overall objectives of “germplasm resource investigation as the basis, gene discovery as the core, variety development as the objective and cultivation technique as the technical supports", to strengthen discipline intersection, team integration and sci-tech talents and resources sharing. Adhering to the policy of "research in one hand, service in the other, and excellence in both hands", we will provide scientific and technological support for food security and high-quality development in Hainan.

3. Research Teams
The institute now employs 30 staff, including 6 professors and 6 associate professors. 1 “Double Hundred” talent team in Hannan province, 2 the State Council Special Allowance experts, 1 National Advanced Agricultural Worker, 1 National March 8th Red Banner, 1 National level candidates for the Million Talents Project, 3 Hainan provincial excellent science and technology workers, 2 provincial excellent experts, 4 famous experts in the South China Sea.

4. Research Platforms and Facilities
The institute includes 4 research teams: sweet potato research center, food crop green and efficient industrialization promotion engineering team, tropical wild rice resources innovation and utilization team and maize molecular design breeding team. In addition, there are seven national scientific research platforms, including the Hainan Branch of the National Rice improvement Center, the Haikou Comprehensive Test Station of the National Rice Industrial Technology system, the Hainan Wild Rice Scientific observation Experimental Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Hainan Scientific observation Experimental Station of crop Gene Resources and Germplasm of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Rice, Maize and fresh Soybean Regional Experimental Station. In Chengmai, Sanya and Ledong, there are more than 500 mu scientific research and test bases and 1500 mu cold storage of germplasm resources, and 800mu key laboratories of crop genetics and breeding in Haikou (Provincial level).