An on-site review meeting to discuss the project on sustainable sugarcane production under the Research program on development of innovative technology was held at the JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) on January 12, 2023.
 
The "Development of continuous ratoon cultivation of high-yielding sugarcane cultivars and next-generation mechanized integrated cultivation technology for sustainable sugarcane production" (Representative: Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center), a project commissioned by the Research program on development of innovative technology (Project No. 02024C). The project aims to develop and demonstrate next-generation mechanized integrated cultivation technology as well as high-yield varieties with continuous ratooning that will enable labor-saving planting work using billet planters in order to address the serious labor shortage and to make sugarcane a sustainable industry.
 
The research theme "Development of high-yielding varieties with continuous ratooning ability for the central and southern regions of the Nansei Islands” is currently being implemented at TARF in collaboration with JIRCAS research project on Tropical crop genetic resources.
 
The 2nd on-site review meeting for FY2022 was held on Ishigaki Island, and 13 participants from the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center visited the Center’s Ishigaki Station, Ishigaki Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. and TARF.
 
Dr. TERAJIMA Yoshifumi, Senior Researcher of TARF, explained the progress of his research project and exchanged opinions with the participants.