Dr. Aung Zaw Oo, a senior researcher at JIRCAS and a member of the SATREPS VaryAla Project (Output 1), traveled to Madagascar from March to April for a crop yield survey.

During this business trip, field surveys and experiments were conducted as part of the SATREPS Madagascar II Project to evaluate the effects of phosphorus microdosing (P-dipping) and other nutrient management practices on rice productivity and environmental impacts across four regions of Madagascar with contrasting climatic conditions. At the field sites, experimental plots that had reached maturity were harvested, and grain yield and aboveground biomass samples were collected and transported to LRI for further analysis. In addition, greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring was conducted throughout the growing season. Gas samples were collected weekly from each experimental site and will be transported to Japan for the analysis of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) concentrations. Furthermore, yield, biomass, and GHG samples were collected from an ongoing pot experiment at LRI, providing data to assess the effects of compost management on rice growth and greenhouse gas emissions.