JIRCAS Report - Japan
JIRCAS Senior Researchers Fujita and Maruyama are Highly Cited Researchers for 7 Consecutive Years
Dr. FUJITA Yasunari and Dr. MARUYAMA Kyonoshin, Senior Researchers in the Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division, were named Highly Cited Researchers for 2020 in the Plant and Animal Science category, marking 7 consecutive years of being included in the annual list of the Clarivate Analytics.
Senior Researcher Tsujimoto Receives the Young Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Researcher Award
Dr. TSUJIMOTO Yasuhiro, Senior Researcher in the Crop, Livestock and Environment Division received the 16th Young Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Researcher Award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) for his achievement in the development of efficient rice production technology in a nutrient-deficient environment in Africa.
Researcher Maeno receives 2020 Chinguitt Prize for Science and Technology
JIRCAS Researcher, Dr. MAENO Kotaro (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division) received the "2020 Chinguitt Prize for Science and Technology" from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
JIRCAS Researcher Receives “Technology Award” from the Japanese Society for Plant Biotechnology
The Japanese Society for Plant Biotechnology (formerly Japanese Society for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology) presented the 2020 Technology Award to JIRCAS Researcher HOSHIKAWA Ken (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division), Professor MIURA Kenji (University of Tsukuba) and Professor EZURA Hiroshi (Tsukuba-Plant Innovation Research Center, University of Tsukuba).
Outcome of the 1st International Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) Workshop (2nd-3rd March, 2015 ; JIRCAS, Tsukuba, Japan)
Suppressing soil nitrification and increasing NUE is critical to reversing the N-fertilizer overuse and minimizing its environmental impact. Global nitrogen (N) fertilizer consumption has increased >10-fold since 1960s, but food grain production has only tripled during this period, resulting in a decrease in nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE). Of the 150 million tons of N-fertilizer currently applied to agricultural systems globally, up to 70% is not recovered by the crop and often results in negative environmental impact through pathways such as nitrate-leaching and nitrous oxide emissions1. Nitrate is an important groundwater pollutant and nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas. Annual economic losses from lost N-fertilizer is estimated at 90 US$ billion. If this trend continues, annual N-fertilizer application will double by 2050 and global N2O emissions from agriculture will reach 19 million tons of N y-1 by then1.
TARF Held the 49th Public Lecture “Ice Cream on the Forest, Cherimoya: Possibility of Cultivation in Ishigaki Island”
The JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) 49th Public Lecture “Ice Cream on the Forest, Cherimoya: Possibility of Cultivation in Ishigaki Island” introduced the characteristics of cherimoya, the world’s major cherimoya production areas, facility cultivation of cherimoya in Japan, and the current status and future prospects of cherimoya cultivation in Ishigaki Island.
Plant Phenotyping x Engineering Ideathon at JIRCAS
The “Plant Phenotyping x Engineering Ideathon” meeting was held at JIRCAS on Aug 26-27, 2019 in collaboration with the Japan Plant Phenotyping Network (JPPN) and supported by Agri-Air Co., Ltd.
Registration of Erianthus varieties for biofuel in Japan
Two Erianthus varieties jointly developed by JIRCAS and the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), namely, JES1 (No. 27533) and JEC1 (No. 27534), and which are suitable for production of biomass fuels, have been registered.
State Minister Miyakoshi visits TARF
The Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Mr. Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi visited the Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) on December 16, 2018.
Science Q at Katsuragi Elementary School
In conjunction with the Science Q program of Tsukuba Science City, Dr. Kouki Maeda, Senior Researcher of the Crop Livestock and Environment Division gave an on-site lesson to Grade 6 pupils of Katsuragi Elementary School on January 31, 2019.