JIRCAS has been implementing the Project for Breakthrough in Nutrient Use Efficiency for Rice by Genetic Improvement and Fertility Sensing Techniques in Africa, also known as the Fy Vary Project (May 2017~ Sep 2022), within the framework of the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development
(SATREPS), a joint project of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 
 
A promotional video for the project has now been released on YouTube. The project name, FY VARY, means "tasty rice" in Malagasy and stands for FertilitY sensing and Variety Amelioration for Rice Yield. Madagascar is the largest rice growing country in Africa with the per capita consumption of rice more than twice as much rice as the Japanese. However, rice productivity has remained stagnant to date due to insufficient fertilizer inputs and nutrient-poor soils occurring in many areas of Africa. The project aims to develop rice production techniques to achieve high productivity even under low fertility conditions by combining fertilizer application that is adapted to the nutrient characteristics of the field and new breeding materials with high nutrient use efficiency, and evaluating the impact of its dissemination on the income and nutritional status of local farmers.
 
The dissemination of rice cultivation technology adapted to nutrient-poor environments will contribute to the stable production of food in Madagascar and other African countries with similar growing environments. Furthermore, the development of crop production technologies that excel in nutrient use efficiency is expected to help promote the shift from resource intensive agriculture to a resource-saving and sustainable agriculture.
 
Furthermore, through this research, we will promote mutual exchange of researchers and human resource development between Madagascar and Japan, and establish a high-quality international joint research system for agricultural research and development.
 
The current Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Madagascar also appears in the video, introducing the phosphorus dipping technology (P-dipping) for fertilizer application (Apr 23, 2020 Press release) and new rice varieties developed in the project (Nov 26, 2021 Press release). Please click on the links below to learn more about rice farming in Madagascar and the project's activities on the ground.

Fy Vary Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdv3cCCXJN4  （Subtitle in Japanese）

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7NjUmUM45I 　(Subtitle in English)

Reference
Fy Vary Project　https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/satreps
 

Contributors: TSUJIMOTO Yasuhiro (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division), SHIRATORI Sakiko (Information and Public Relations Office)