Zhiyong Guan is a professor of horticulture at Nanjing Agricultural University. He received his master's degree from Huazhong Agricultural University in 2000 and served as a lecturer at Nanjing Agricultural University from July 2000 to July 2010. He received his doctorate from Nanjing Agricultural University in 2010. He became an associate professor at Nanjing Agricultural University in January 2011 and was promoted to professor in January 2018. His research focuses on germplasm resources and utilization of ornamental plants: (1) Germplasm resources of chrysanthemum; (2) Precise cultivation and quality control of chrysanthemum; (3) Light and efficient green cultivation of chrysanthemum.