Abstract: Taking the research on the northbound cultivation of rubber trees carried out in China in the 1950s–1980s as the research object, and from the perspective of the history of science, this paper systematically combs its background and process. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the western countries had a long-term embargo on rubber to our country, a strategic material in economic activities. In the face of the national demand, relevant research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the local land reclamation system under the Ministry of Forest Reclamation and local scientific research institutes carried out systematic surveys of China's tropical biological resources in South China and Yunnan. And on this basis, determined suitable forest lands for rubber trees, carried out research on cold and wind resistance of rubber trees, and finally realized the northbound cultivation rubber tree successfully, which met the national demand for rubber. This helps to deepen the understanding of the scientific development policy of "task driven disciplines" implemented by the country in the 1950s–1980s. At the same time, it has important practical reference value for understanding how contemporary scientific research meets national needs and how different institutions can better carry out collaborative research in major scientific research.