National Institute of Crop Science, RDA

 As a small seed that has healthy DNA will bring fruitful results,
 NICS prepares a healthy seed for our agriculture.

 Under the rapidly changing agricultural environment,
 NICS lays the ground work for our agriculture in the next millennium.

 A hundred year history of Korean agriculture,
 Now, NICS is leaping forward towards the new millennium.

 A hundred year history of Korean agriculture,
 Now, NICS is leaping forward towards the new millennium.
 

 'Agricultural Demonstration Station' was established in 1906.
 In this place, research on the development of new varieties and cultivation technologies adaptable to Korean agriculture was started for the first time.


 After 10 years since National Crop Experiment Station was founded in 1962, a miracle rice seed called “Tongil” variety was developed through the researchers' enthusiastic efforts and dedication,

 After all, our long cherished national objective, “self sufficiency of rice”, was realized with strong extension practices to disseminate the variety nationwide.

 After 5 decades,
 "Green Revolution", laid ground to the development of Korean economy,
 "Quality Revolution" of agro products for agricultural production technology development,
 "Knowledge Revolution", converged advanced science and technology with agricultural sector, and
 "Multi-functional Revolution", evolved as high value added agriculture such as care farming,
 NICS has been leading the drastic growth of Korean agriculture.

 Now, with greater vision for the new millennium, NICS is realizing our dream in the capital city of Korean agriculture, Jeollabuk-do Innovation City.


 NICS is preparing to provide the outstanding research and rapid technology dissemination by closely cooperating with Headquarters in Jeonbuk Wanju, 2 Departments and 12 Divisions in Central Area Crop Science in Suwon and Department of Southern Area Crop Science in Miryang, 2 research institutes such as Highland Agriculture Research Institute in Pyeongchang and Bioenergy Crop Research Institute in Muan,
 and 4 Sub-stations in Chuncheon, Cheolwon, Youngdeok, and Sangju.

 Headquarters of NICS was designed to maximize the efficiency of crop research and technology development in a complex scaled 1,000,000 square meters including GMO and Upland Crop Quality Management Building, Disease and Insect Pest Management and Rice & Barley Quality Evaluation Building, Meteorology Building, Germplasm Storage, and Food Crops Experimental Fields and Greenhouses.


 NICS has been growing with the development of Korean agriculture.
 Now, NICS is opening a greater tomorrow with our immense and accumulated potentials.

 Sub Title: 1. Development of Customized Elite Varieties

 Recently, stable food supply is threatened by climate change and abnormal weather....

 NICS is taking the lead to develop elite varieties to maintain food production infrastructure and enhance competitiveness of Korean rice, and productivity of upland crops.


 Developing rice varieties with the best quality, functionality, and resistance to pest and natural disasters,
 Improving functionality of major upland crops such as wheat, barely, soybean, sorghum, potato and sweet potato,
 Developing bioenergy crops including rapeseed and silver grass, forage crops such as green barely and triticale, and green manure crops that reduce chemical fertilizer.....

 With these research works, NICS is exerting their best efforts working day and night to increase the yields of qualified food crops and stabilize its supply.

 Sub Title: 2. Labor Saving and Raising Farm Income

 NICS is developing and rapidly transferring the technologies for farmers to enhance productivity and competitiveness of crops.

 Transferring new rice cultivation technology,
 Developing standardized cultivation technology that make possible to use machine for upland crop production,
 Establishing elite seed-potato production and dissemination system,
 Disseminating virus-free sweet potato production technology
 and new cash crop cultivation technology for highland crops to induce labor and management cost saving, and dramatical increases in its yield.

 In addition, NICS is strengthening on-farm and customized research in order to meet the need of farmers.

 Sub Title: 3. Developing Environment-friendly Technology

 NICS is progressively promoting research on sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural technology and conservation of agricultural environment.

 Development of technology on soil preservation and management as basis for the growth of crop, and research on producing upland crops in reclaimed land are also in progress.

 Also, we provide optimal crop cultivation environment by developing disease and weed prevention technology.

 Sub Title: 4. New Value Addition to Food Crops

“To make farmer and rural community happy.”
To achieve this goal, NICS is striving to 'create new value added of food crops'.

 NICS makes the most of opportunities by developing various kinds of processing food and products to satisfy consumers’ demand. At the same time, we are taking the lead in eco-friendly future energy research by developing bioenergy using sweet potato, rapeseed, and silver grass.

 NICS is provides stabilized market and income to the farmers and contributes to secure raw materials and profit increase to the business through new high value addition of food crops.

 Sub Title: 5. Enhancing Competitiveness of Future Agriculture

 NICS is implementing customized consultation to support the 6th industrialization that converges production, processing, distribution, dinning places, tourism, and care farming by organizing task force team,
 also taking the lead to revitalize local economy and communities by enhancing farmers' income and job creation.

 Furthermore, NICS is strengthening collaboration with other countries to take the lead in international food crop research trend,

 and greatly contributes to tackle global food issue and development of agricultural resources by transferring customized agricultural technology with Asian and African countries through multilateral and bilateral cooperation bodies such as Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI), Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI), and Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA).

 Leading the development of creative agricultural technology to deal with current issue and challenges,
 NICS ensures food security and realize agricultural science in Korea.

 The new millennium of hope,
 in order to be the global hub of food resources,
 Now, NICS is leaping forward.