Ms. RAVOLOLONIRAINY Tsiafoy Diary, a collaborative researcher from the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar, visited Japan from July 5 to August 5, 2026, for a short-term training program.

As part of Output 2: Development of technology to promote growth of vegetable and legume crops by soil microorganisms under the SATREPS VaryAla Project, Tsiafoy received training at the University of Tokyo and JIRCAS. At the University of Tokyo, she learned techniques for the cultivation and propagation of beneficial fungi that promote the growth of vegetables and legumes, as well as fungal isolation and DNA extraction methods.

At JIRCAS, she received practical training in soil DNA extraction and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis, which enhanced his understanding of methods for evaluating soil microbial communities.

In addition, she participated in the annual VaryAla Project meeting organized by JST and attended research presentations at Tokyo Metropolitan University. These activities provided valuable opportunities to deepen her understanding of research collaboration between Japan and Madagascar.