Crop Diseases Research Institute (CDRI) is the premier Institute in Pakistan, working on Crop Health Management through applied and basic research in phytopathology under the guidance of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). It existed in its nuclear form since 1955 and through several reorganizations, attained the structure and mandate of Crop Diseases Research Institute in 1983. Later on in 2001 in an institutional re-organization of PARC it merged into a newly developed Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection with the change of status from Institute to Program.

Currently the CDRI again elevated from program to Institute in 2017. It is the only one of its kind in the country. It is working with the infrastructure of main laboratories at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad and a substation at Murree. The CDRI-Substation Murree also play a key role in human resource development. A number of scientists and students from national agricultural research system and universities are trained in the area of wheat rust research at the station.