The JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) is pleased to announce its 52nd TARF Public Lecture entitled "Strawberry Cultivation on Ishigaki Island" to be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at the Ishigaki City Health and Welfare Center.

TARF has been actively engaged in collaborative research initiatives with private companies, the National Agricultural and Food Research Organization (NARO), and various universities. These efforts focus on the development of an Asian Monsoon Plant Factory System (AMPFS) to refine production technologies for vegetables and other crops in tropical and subtropical regions.

During the upcoming 52nd TARF Public Lecture, we will discuss the key technologies used in strawberry cultivation, with special emphasis on soilless cultivation¹ and greenhouse environmental control² within the AMPFS, which is tailored for tropical and subtropical climates. We wish that this lecture would stimulate the interest of residents in the Yaeyama area by introducing our research work on the greenhouse cultivation of strawberries.

*1 Soilless cultivation: A cultivation method where water and essential nutrients for plant growth are supplied as a nutrient solution without the use of soil.
*2 Greenhouse environmental control: A system designed to regulate environmental factors such as air temperature, humidity, light, and CO₂ concentration optimal for plant growth.

Lecturer

Dr. NAKAYAMA Masakazu (Researcher, TARF) has been actively involved in research on vegetable cultivation through plant factories since 2019. He has extensive experience in contributing to agricultural development projects as a JICA expert in countries such as Syria and Sudan.