The Institute of Plant and Environment Protection (IPEP) of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS) was established in 1984, through the merger of two institutes: the Institute of Plant Protection (which was first established in 1962 as the Plant Protection Laboratory) and the Institute of Agriculture Environment Protection (which was first established in 1975 as the Agricultural Environment Protection Laboratory).
IPEP has the following main research objectives and mandates: (i)to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of plant infectious diseases and pests; (ii) to develop better prevention and control strategies again plant diseases and pests; (ii) to collect, understand and utilize natural microbial resources, including domesticating wild edible mushrooms and developing better mushroom cultivars and cultivating methods; (iii) to research and develop products to enhance plant and environment protections; and (iv) to develop healthcare products from mushrooms.The Institute is certificated by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to conduct and monitor pesticide residues in agricultural fields and forests. IPEP also hosts the following centers/organizations: (i) Beijing Engineering Research Center for Edible Mushrooms; (ii) Beijing Experimental Station of the National Platform for the Industrial System of Edible Mushrooms; (iii) the China-Canada Science and Innovation Center on Safe Agriculture Production; (iv) BAAFS-Cornell University Joint Laboratory on Grape Diseases; and (v) Beijing International Co-operation Base in Science and Technology. IPEP is a standing institutional member of the Beijing Society for Plant Pathology, Entomological Society of Beijing, and Beijing Association for Mushroom Sciences.