Dingxi Potato Research Institute currently boasts 5 potato varieties with independent intellectual property rights, 2 invention patents and 3 scientific and technological achievements. In 2024, the Institute established an in-house Testing Center with complete supporting instruments and professional trained staff, and is currently in the process of CNAS accreditation. The Testing Center undertakes full-cycle virus and disease monitoring and detection throughout the potato production process of the Institute. In 2025, the project Integration and Application of Key Technologies for Quality Improvement and Efficiency Enhancement in the Potato Industry won the Second Prize of Gansu Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.
Adhering to a technology-driven development strategy, the Institute continuously upgrades its scientific and technological capabilities, while actively establishing and expanding cooperation with domestic and international potato research institutions and universities to introduce advanced scientific and technological achievements. A number of renowned research institutes and universities, including China Agricultural University, Gansu Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia University and Northwest A&F University, have jointly built postgraduate training bases in partnership with Dingxi Potato Research Institute.
The Institute provides contracted services for domestic and foreign enterprises, research institutions and agricultural cooperatives, producing virus-free potato seedlings and pre-basic seed potatoes. All production is carried out in strict compliance with national standards, with full-process monitoring and inspection implemented throughout production. Traceability investigation is conducted once any abnormality is identified, ensuring all finished products meet national specifications. Three specialized laboratories have been set up to guarantee the quality of virus-free seedlings and pre-basic seed potatoes.
The laboratory adopts cutting-edge technologies such as high-temperature virus inactivation and cryogenic virus elimination for potatoes. The success rate of meristem tissue culture for removing potato viruses and viroids reaches 100%.
Since 2023, the Institute has independently conducted potato disease testing. Initially, it adopted the DAS‑ELISA method to detect 6 common viruses only in mature plant leaves. In 2024, complete molecular testing equipment was upgraded to support high-precision PCR detection for most fungal and bacterial pathogens, as well as potato viruses and viroids. In 2025, the laboratory expanded its testing space, enabling preliminary screening for complex emerging potato diseases such as phytoplasma diseases, and formally applied for CNAS accreditation. In 2025, the laboratory tested nearly 1,000 samples covering virus-free seedlings, virus-free potatoes, pre-basic seed potato greenhouses, seed production fields and customer-provided samples.
Equipped with spectrophotometers, polarimeters, Kjeldahl nitrogen analyzers and other professional instruments, the laboratory conducts component and quality testing on potatoes, nutrient solutions, culture media and other samples. In 2025, it introduced the PW4 potato digital hydrometer manufactured by Martin Lishman (UK) to accurately determine dry matter and starch content of variety populations, supporting rapid and convenient field screening of new potato varieties.
This laboratory focuses on technological innovation for virus-free seedling and pre-basic seed potato production, conducting in-depth research on production substrates, precision fertilization, automatic irrigation, nutrient solution formulation and whole-process production monitoring.
Potato seedlings processed and certified virus-free by the Meristem Tip Virus Elimination Laboratory are transferred to the seedling propagation department for mass breeding. The annual output reaches approximately 60 million virus-free seedlings, including 50 million for self-use and over 10 million supplied to pre-basic seed potato producers across and outside Gansu Province. The tissue culture workshop employs 50 professional production staff. The lightweight sugar-free nutrient solution seedling production technology has obtained a national invention patent and been recommended as a local standard of Gansu Province by the Gansu Provincial Technical Committee for Standardization of Grain and Oil Crop Cultivation.
The Institute produces nearly 100 million pre-basic seed potatoes annually, sold across major potato-producing regions in China, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other overseas markets. In 2025, it launched joint mini-tuber production cooperation with PepsiCo Foods (China) Co., Ltd. and Sinochem Group. A series of new high-efficiency production technologies have been independently developed, including simplified virus-free seedling cultivation, coconut coir substrate planting, automatic bed drip irrigation systems, automated aeroponics control and multi-span greenhouse inspection robots. Among them, the high-efficiency coconut coir cultivation technology for pre-basic seed potatoes was awarded the Agronomic Innovation Prize by PepsiCo Foods (China) Co., Ltd.
In cooperation with Gansu Gaodi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., the Institute has leased 10,000 mu of land in Pingcheng Township, Yongdeng County for foundation seed potato production. Located at an altitude of 2,600 meters, the region features a cool and dry climate with extremely low incidence of pests and diseases. The base exclusively uses self-produced pre-basic seed potatoes and implements standardized seed production management. The degradation rate of produced foundation seed potatoes is controlled below 5%, winning wide recognition from domestic and international clients. The main cultivated varieties are Ganyin No.9 and Atlantic, with an annual output of about 10,000 tons of foundation seed potatoes.
Jointly with Gansu Senrui Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., the Institute leases over 8,000 mu of land in Jinchang, Minqin and Lanzhou New Area every year, producing more than 20,000 tons of processed commercial potatoes such as Atlantic. The products are supplied to potato chip processing factories in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries. Full mechanized operation and intelligent mulch drip irrigation systems are adopted for commercial cultivation. In 2025, the Institute invested 30 million RMB to build a 10,000-ton controlled atmosphere cold storage in Neiguanying Town, Anding District. The cold storage supports off-season export to Vietnam and other countries, as well as processing, packaging and sales of specialty potato varieties.
The breeding work of the LK20 series was completed in 2025. Since 2020, a total of 103 hybrid combinations have been created; 42,565 seedlings were planted in 2021, followed by 97 combinations with 1,925 lines in 2022, 86 combinations with 741 lines in 2023 and 126 lines in 2024. After systematic screening, 51 candidate varieties were selected, and 7 pre-registration varieties were finalized in 2025, officially named the LK Series.
Regarded quality as the core foundation of sustainable development, Dingxi Potato Research Institute keeps optimizing product quality and has won high praise from global partners with integrity and credibility. LK Potato mini seed potatoes have become a premium benchmark of high-quality seed potatoes in China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Thailand and many other countries.