On August 1, 2024 (Thu), two events, "Children's Visit Day" and "Tsukuba Chibikko Hakase (Little Scientists) 2024," were held at the lobby on the first floor of JIRCAS main building. The theme of the event was "Let's Learn Together! Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Developing Regions."
At the exhibition booth, there was a panel display about quinoa, a superfood native to Bolivia in South America, as well as explanations about quinoa plants, seeds, and products. Attendees were also able to experience "P-dipping," a technique being implemented in Madagascar, Africa, to efficiently increase rice yield with minimal fertilizer.
In the mini lectures, Dr. NISHIGAKI Tomohiro (Researcher, Crop, Livestock and Environment Division) presented a talk titled "Are We Eating Soil?!". He introduced the distribution and characteristics of soils around the world and in Africa, and explained with photos and illustrations on how little of the environment in Africa is suitable for agriculture. Following this, Dr. OGATA Takuya (Senior Researcher, Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division) gave a talk titled "Not Just Good for Your Body? A Superfood Connecting the World!" He explained the ecology of quinoa, a crop that thrives in harsh environments and has excellent nutritional value, and how it differs from other staple grains like wheat, rice, and corn.
Other activities included tasting quinoa-based snacks, trying on traditional costumes, and viewing research panels introducing JIRCAS research projects, providing valuable opportunities for researchers to exchange ideas with the public.
We would like to continue to provide opportunities to people to feel interested in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in developing regions, as well as to experience the excitement of science.
A total of 261 participants from within and outside Tsukuba City attended the event. Thank you very much to everyone who joined us.