Group of crop disease prediction and management is affiliated to the State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and the Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Control on the Loess Plateau of the Ministry of Agriculture. The group dedicates to make contributions to ensuring food security and promoting the development of modern agriculture. The group is comprised of 8 researchers and more than 40 graduate students. We have established more than 300 intelligent monitoring bases in 16 provinces or autonomous regions, including Gansu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Zhejiang, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet.

1. Crop disease monitoring and prediction

We have realized the intelligent monitoring and early warning of crop diseases, developed the world's first automatic forecaster for Fusarium head blight, and built a real-time prediction system for Fusarium head blight based on the Internet of Things and digitalization. We proposed the disease control strategies based on precising forecast, toxin control, and economic injury level. The related results were chosen into the National 13^th Five-Year Plan Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition. We have published more than 300 papers in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, Plant Journal, Molecular Plant Pathology, MPMI and other journals, published 7 books, obtained 13 patents, and registered 2 computer software copyrights. Relevant research results have won 1 first-class National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology, 2 first-class Provincial Prize for Progress in Science and Technology, and 4 second-class Provincial Prize for Progress in Science and Technology. We were invited to give 8 reports in the international academic conferences.

2. Research on epidemiology of wheat stripe rust

We are long engaged in the research on the epidemiology of wheat stripe rust. The origins and migration routes were revealed with the systematic investigation, population genetics, and air trajectory studies. The Himalayan regions, Qinling Mountains, and Guizhou Plateau are the putative origin centers of stripe rust. Xinjiang, Tibet, Yungui Plateau, and Huanghuai Yangtze River regions are the 4 epidemic regions of stripe rust in China.

3. Research on soilborne disease

We mainly work on crop verticillium wilt and is the is one of the initiating and hosting units of the National Cotton Fusarium and Verticillium wilt Collaborative Group. Under the leadership of Professor Yuan Qiu, Professor Junyan Li, Professor Qibao Yu, Professor Jindian Lv, Professor Zhiwei Yang, and Professor Jiarong Yang, the "Xinong Zhongsan" cotton varieties with resistance to verticillium wilt were cultivated. We proposed the root exudates of the resistant cotton cultivar is the main reason for the formation of verticillium wilt-suppressing soil, which contributed to solving the cotton verticillium wilt. The research results have won the National Science Conference Award, second-class Prize of the Ministry of Agriculture's scientific and technological progress, the first prize-class Prize of Henan Province's scientific and technological progress, and second-class Prize of Shaanxi Province’s scientific and technological achievements.

4. Student development

We have cultivated 10 students with Ph.D degree, 48 students with master degree, and more than 3000 students with bachelor degree. Among them, Dr. Feng Wei won the 100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertations of Shaanxi Province, and Dr. Jiahui Wang won the Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of Northwest A&F University. Most of them are now influential in their field. Currently, the laboratory has 57 graduate students.