Senior Researcher Yoshifumi Terajima of the Tropical Agriculture Research Front was given the Best Presentation Award for Young Researchers at the conclusion of the 2018 International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) Joint 12th Germplasm & Breeding and 9th Molecular Biology Workshops in Okinawa. The ISSCT is an international sugarcane association composed of scientist, technologists, managers, institutions and companies/corporations concerned with the technical advancement of the sugarcane industry. Mr. Terajima’s oral presentation was titled “Characteristics of intergeneric hybrids between Saccharum spp. hybrid and Erianthus arundinaceus.”

The workshops, held on October 22-26, 2018 at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, were attended by 113 researchers from 20 countries and regions. There were two main sections, Germplasm & Breeding section and Molecular Biology section, in the main program comprising 41 oral presentations, two poster sessions, discussion sessions, and a business meeting. JIRCAS played a major role and co-organized the workshops with the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center and the Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (https://issct2018.okinawa/).