Dr. FUKUTA Yoshimichi, a former senior researcher in the Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division and the Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) and proponent of the international network research for the development of rice blast control technology at JIRCAS, received the 2020 Japanese Society of Breeding Award on March 20, 2021.

The award was in recognition of Dr. Fukuta’s extensive research on the dissemination and utilization of a differential system for rice blast resistance, wherein he developed and a system that can evaluate the pathogenicity of rice blast fungus strains and the resistance of rice cultivars in tropical developing regions in Asia and Africa. Dr. Fukuta has also clarified the global distribution of rice blast fungus races and resistance variation in rice cultivars. This has made it possible for countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Bangladesh to develop blast control technologies and improve rice cultivars using their own differential systems. For sustainable and stable rice production in the future, it can be said that a foundation has been established for research on the development of pest control technology based on the differential system, including evaluation of the pathogenicity of resistance genes and fungal systems, breeding of resistant rice cultivars, and clarification of the dynamics of fungal races.

Dr. Fukuta gave the commemorative lecture at the 139^th Meeting of the Japanese Society of Breeding held online on March 20, 2021. Due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the awarding ceremony scheduled on the autumn meeting of JSB in Hirosaki University was cancelled, and the award certificate and medal were sent to Dr. Fukuta.

Japanese Society of Breeding Homepage (in Japanese)
https://www.nacos.com/jsb/07/07prize_2020.html

• Applicable Solution Against Rice Blast in Asia. (2021) Fukuta Y., A. Hasebe, M. Kato and R.-Y. Yang (eds), Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific (FFTC) Taipei, Taiwan. [https://www.fftc.org.tw/en/activities/detail/150]
• Ebron L. A., Y. Fukuta, T. Imbe, H. Kato, M.J. Telebanco-Yanoria, H. Tsunematsu, G.S. Khush and M. Yokoo (2004) Breed. Sci. 54: 381-387.
• Ebron, L.A., Y. Fukuta, T. Imbe, H. Kato, M.J. Telebanco-Yanoria, H. Tsmematsu, G.S. Khush, N. Kobayashi and M. Yokoo, M. (2005) SABRAO J Breed. Genet. 37: 1-11.
• Fukuta, Y., I. Koga, T. Ung, K. Sathaya, A. Kawasaki-Tanaka, Y. Koide, N. Kobayashi, M. Obara, H. Yanada and N. Hayashi (2014) JARQ 48: 155-166. 
• Fukuta, Y., M.J. Telebanco-Yanoria, N. Hayashi, S. Yanagihara, C.W. Machungo and D. Makihara (2019) Plant Dis. 103: 3181-3188. 
• Fukuta, Y., T. Suzuki, S. Yanagihara, M. Obara, A. Tomita, R. Ohsawa, C.W. Machungo, N. Hayashi, and D. Makihara (2019) Breed. Sci. 69: 372-379.
• Fukuta, Y., T.L. Nhuyen, T.T.H. Pham, T.L. Trinh, V.D. Pham, N. Hayashi, A. Kawasaki-Tanaka, M. Obara, B.T.T. Tran and C.B. Bui (2020) JARQ 54: 239-252.
• Hayashi, N., and Y. Fukuta (2009) JIRCAS working report No. 63. JIRCAS, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, pp. 11–15.
• Hayashi, N., N. Kobayashi, C.M. Vera Cruz and Y. Fukuta (2009) JIRCAS working report No. 63. JIRCAS, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, pp. 17-23.
• Kawasaki-Tanaka, A. and Y. Fukuta (2014) Breed. Sci. 64: 183-192.
• Kawasaki-Tanaka, A., N. Hayashi, S. Yanagihara and Y. Fukuta (2016) Plant Dis.100: 816-823.
• Khan, Md.A.I., M.A. Ali, M.A. Monsur, A. Kawasaki-Tanaka, N. Hayashi, S. Yanagihara, M. Obara, M.A.T. Mia, M.A. Latif and Y. Fukuta (2016) Plant Dis. 100: 2025-2033. 
• Khan, Md.A.I., Md.A. Latif, Md. Khalequzzaman, A. Tomita, Md.A. Ali and Y. Fukuta (2017) Breed. Sci. 67: 493-499. 
• Koide, Y., L.A. Ebron, H. Kato, H. Tsunematsu, M.J. Telebanco-Yanoria, N. Kobayashi, M. Tokoo, S, Maruyama, T. Imbe and Y. Fukuta. (2011) Field Crops Res. 123: 19-27.  
• Li, J., L. Lu, Y. Jia, Q. Wang, Y. Fukuta and C. Li (2016) Plant Dis.100: 298-303.
• Muto, C., K. Ebana, K. Kawano, V. Bounphanousay, C. Bounphanousay, K. Kanyavong, P. Inthapanya, C. Bualaphanh, T. Sato, R. Ishikawa, Y.-I. Sato and Y. Fukuta (2019) Breed. Sci. 69: 272-278. 
• Nguyen, T.M.N., H.L. Hoang, B.N. Nguyen, T.N. Nguyen, T.T.T. Nguyen, N. Hayashi and Y. Fukuta (2020) Plant Dis. 104: 381-387.
• Odjo, T., A. Kawasaki-Tanaka, T. Noda, B.C. Ahohuendo, Y. Sere, T. Kumashiro, S. Yanagihara and Y. Fukuta (2014) JARQ 48: 403-412.
• Odjo, T., Y. Koide, D. Silue, S. Yanagihara, T. Kumashiro and Y. Fukuta (2017) Breed. Sci. 67: 500-508.
• Orn, C., H. Saito, Md.A.I. Khan, Md.R. Nhuiyan, T. Vathany, S. Khay, O. Makara and Y. Fukuta (2020) Breed. Sci. 70: 576-585.
• Taddesse, L. Y. Fukuta and R. Ishikawa (2020). Breed. Sci. 70: 303-312.
• Telebanco-Yanoria, M.J., T. Imbe, H. Kato, H. Tsunematsu, L. A. Ebron, C. M. Vera Cruz, N. Kobayashi and Y. Fukuta (2008a). JARQ 42: 23-34.
• Telebanco-Yanoria, M.J., R. Ohsawa, S. Senoo, N. Kobayashi and Y. Fukuta (2008b) Plant Breed. 127: 355-363. 
• Telebanco-Yanoria, M.J., Y. Koide, Y. Fukuta, T. Imbe, H. Kato, H. Tsunematsu and N. Kobayashi (2010) Breed. Sci. 60: 629-637. 
• Kadeawi, S., Swaruno, A. Nasution, A. Hairmansis, M.J. Telebanco-Yanoria, M. Obara, N. Hayashi and Y. Fukuta (2021) Plant Dis. 105: 375-383.
• Xangsayasane, P., C. Boualaphanh, C. Bounphanousay, V. Bounphanousay, P. Manivong, S. Voradeth, P. Inthapanya, T. Sato, M. Obara, N. Hayashi and Y. Fukuta (2020) Plant Health Prog. 21: 248-255.