On November 29, during the annual meeting of the International Fertilizer Association held in Doha, Qatar, the 2023 IFA Norman Borlaug Plant Nutrition Award was announced, and Professor Jian Feng Ma of the Institute of Plant Science and Resources was honored with the award.

The International Fertilizer Association, established in 1927, is an international organization with over 400 members from more than 79 countries. In 1993, they instituted the Norman Borlaug Plant Nutrition Award, named after the father of the Green Revolution and Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, to be presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of plant nutrition.

Professor Ma has conducted extensive research on the mineral transport mechanisms in plants. He has pioneered the identification of numerous mineral transporters and elucidated their regulatory mechanisms, earning him international acclaim for his substantial contributions to the field of plant nutrition, leading to his well-deserved recognition with this award.