Microbial pesticides and fertilizers are important substitutes for chemical products, and they have become more and more demanding in market after 2015, when the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China promulgated the national policy of "reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides". According to reports, as of October 2020, a total of 7604 microbial fertilizer products have been registered in China, involving more than 2,000 companies, with a production capacity of more than 30 million tons. On October 28th, the "2020 China Microbial Fertilizer Conference" was held at the Triumphal Arch (Kaixuanmen) Hotel in Shijiazhuang City. At the conference, the microbial inoculant product "Academician Root", a research outcome that IAE transferred to Ainuo Co., Ltd. of North China Pharmaceutical Corporation (NCPC), won the title of "Brand Leader in China's Microbial Fertilizer Industry in 2020" due to this product's good reputation among the users.  

"Academician Root" was originally developed by Prof. HU Jiangchun and Associate Prof. PAN Huaqi, two research scientists from the Agricultural Microbiology Research Group of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who are also members of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS. "Academician Root" is a Methylotrophic Bacillus with both pesticide and fertilizer functions, which has excellent ability to promote crop yield and quality, prevent soil-borne diseases, increase beneficial soil microorganisms and reshape healthy soil microbial systems. After it was exclusively transferred to Ainuo Co., Ltd. and brought to market for sale, this product has quickly spread nationwide and have protected tens of thousands of acres of crops from root diseases.  

"Academician Root" (Microbial Fertilizer 2018; no. 5053) was registered in January 2018. "Ainuo Biaobo", a product registered by Ainuo Co., Ltd. in January 2016, was the world's first bio-fungicide containing the new microbial strain Methylotrophic Bacillus 9912. In May 2019, "Ainuo Biaobo", the 3 billion cfu/g Methylotrophic Bacillus 9912 wettable powder, won the title of "2018 China Plant Protection Market Best-selling Brand Product" and attracted great attention from the biopesticide industry since then. 

The R&D of Methylotrophic Bacillus 9912 promoted the development of a series of biopesticides and microbial fertilizer products, which have all become important, featured products of NCPC in the field of Agriculture & Health. As of the first half of 2020, cumulative sales revenue of these products have exceeded 25 million yuan. It is believed that the new microbial inoculant product ("Academician Root") will play a greater role in the practice of reducing the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in China. The transformation and application of this research outcome is also a vivid reflection of IAE's consistent standpoint of "writing scientific papers on the great land of China".