Dr. Miwa Arai, a senior researcher at JIRCAS and a member of the SATREPS VaryAla Project (Output 2), traveled to Madagascar in March for field survey and discussions on experimental planning.

During  this business trip, a field experiment was conducted in collaboration with the counterpart institution, Laboratory of Radioisotopes, University of Antananarivo (LRI). The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of applying organic amendments, including vermicompost, on crop production and soil environments. The experiment was carried out at two sites in the central highlands of Madagascar with contrasting soil types and climatic conditions. The mission included monitoring the status of field management, harvesting crops, and collecting soil samples, which provided baseline data for understanding the interactions between organic amendments and cultivation environments. In addition, discussions were held with Laboratory of Radioisotopes, University of Antananarivo (LRI) regarding the future management of the field trials and analytical strategies.