Dr. ISEKI Kohtaro, Senior Researcher in the Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division, received the Best Research Award at the “International Symposium on Tropical Root & Tuber Crops for Nutrition, Agri-food Systems, Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability,” held in Thiruvananthapuram, India, from November 17 to 21, 2025.

The symposium aimed to share research findings and strengthen international networks across a wide range of fields related to tropical root and tuber crops, including production, nutrition, sustainability, processing, and climate change adaptation. A total of 179 researchers, experts, and industry representatives from 27 countries, mainly from Africa, South America, and South Asia, participated in the event.

At the symposium, Dr. Iseki presented his research on the development of a fast and simple method for evaluating genetic resources of yam, a major root crop in West Africa, using drone technology. His approach significantly reduces the labor and time required for evaluating root and tuber crops, which are often difficult to cultivate and propagate, thereby improving the efficiency of breeding programs. This innovative contribution was highly praised and led to the award.