A research proposal submitted by a researcher from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) has been conditionally selected as a new research project for FY2026 under SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development), a program jointly implemented by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
On May 18, 2026 (Monday), a total of 21 participants, including 12 trainees, 2 accompanying staff members from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tsukuba, and 7 staff members from JICA Headquarters, visited JIRCAS as part of the FY2026 thematic training course titled “Prospective Agricultural Technologies as Solutions to Climate Change.” This course aims to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to utilize agricultural technologies that contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
On April 3, 2026, we welcomed Dr. Virender Kumar (Research Director), Dr. SAITO Kazuki (Senior Scientist), and Dr. IWANAGA Masa (Board Member) from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for a courtesy visit and technical exchange. During the visit, we introduced our institutional framework and research projects, followed by broad discussions on strengthening future collaboration with IRRI.
Now that we can use more fertilizer, we no longer have to worry about food. But it's not all good. If too much fertilizer is added to fields, the reactive nitrogen that plants don't use can pollute rivers and the air, causing various environmental problems. This is becoming more common, so we need to take action quickly. We will introduce a study that investigates whether adding charcoal to soil can keep the nitrogen in fertilizer in the soil for longer, allowing nitrogen to be used without waste.
In the NARO-JIRCAS-FFTC International symposium, experts from the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Taiwan, and Japan will come together to share the latest progresses and outputs from the research and discuss for further research and social implementation of the technology. The symposium will be held for a day and a half on October 1 & 2.
https://www.cimmyt.org/news/ancient-wild-relatives-hold-key-to-climate-proofing-global-wheat-supply/Crop wild relatives that have survived changing climates for millions of years may provide the solution to adapting wheat, humanity's most widely grown crop, to climate change. Two new studies led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) reveal how tapping into this ancient genetic diversity can revolutionize wheat breeding and safeguard global food security.
Plant scents are all around us. Many of the scents used in aromatherapy, especially for healing the tired mind and body, are derived from tropical forest plants. You may not know the names agarwood, sandalwood, and borneol, but you may have encountered their scents. In fact, only a few people have never smelled their scents. Tropical forests are an important source of timber resources, but these non-timber forest products also support people's livelihoods and help generate income for sustainable forestry. Here are some scents that come from tropical forests.