Dr. TAKARAGAWA Hiroo, a researcher at the Tropical Agriculture Research Front of JIRCAS, received the 2025 (The 18th) Okinawa Agricultural Research Association Award for his research titled “Development of Trait Evaluation Techniques Using Sugarcane Genetic Resources and Effective Utilization of Existing Varieties.”
The award ceremony took place on August 15, 2025, during the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Okinawa Agricultural Research Association held at the University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Agriculture.
Sugarcane has a long cultivation period, is sensitive to environmental factors, and is genetically complex, making breeding difficult. As a result, productivity improvements have lagged behind those of other crops. With climate change in mind, there is a growing need for innovative research beyond conventional methods.
Crop breeding research is generally divided into three phases:
- Pre-breeding – collecting and evaluating genetic resources and identifying useful traits
- Breeding – repeated selection over more than 10 years after crossbreeding
- Post-breeding – promoting existing varieties, developing cultivation techniques, and identifying new demands
Dr. Takaragawa focused on pre-breeding and post-breeding. His work includes:
- organizing genetic resource information to broaden the narrow genetic base of sugarcane by interspecies crossing with related genetic resources
- developing cultivation technologies for the effective use of existing varieties
One of the key outcomes was the partial elucidation of the physiological and ecological mechanisms of environmental stress tolerance shown by Erianthus, a relative of sugarcane. This research demonstrated the potential of interspecific hybridization to improve sugarcane varieties.
This achievement led to his award. The Okinawa Agricultural Research Association, established in 1962 by the University of the Ryukyus Faculty of Agriculture and the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, is a prestigious organization that promotes agricultural research in Okinawa through annual conferences and the publication of the journal Okinawa Agriculture.
While the current results may not bring immediate benefits to farmers, they open up new possibilities for sugarcane breeding methods, potentially contributing to the sustainable development of sugarcane production in Okinawa in the future.
