Research and Development
for Commercial Applications
202
The outcomes of research and development for a practical cultivar, a processing
product, and a new technology by Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University,
are utilized widely in local industry and society.

Kagawa University

Faculty of Agriculture

Rare Sugar R & D for Commercial Applications
Prof. Emeritus Ken Izumori and collaborators had examined
many microbial enzymes since the middle of 1970's. Theirdiscovery of the unique enzyme, D-tagatose 3-epimerase, made it
possible to produce rare sugar D-allulose by conversion of Dfructose. Izumoring, a blueprint design of rare sugar production,
describes enzymatic reactions to produce aldose, ketose, andsugar alcohol. Discoveries of physiological functions of raresugars to microbes, plants, animals, insects, human, etc., aredirectly connected to application developments for economic andsocietal benefits in a global community.

Rare Sugar Production Station

Monument for "Birthplace of Rare Sugar Studies" was erected at where rare sugarrelated microbe was discovered（in the campus of Faculty of Agriculture）.

1Wine-Brewing by Breeding of New Variety “Kadaino R-1”
When temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius, the anthocyanin accumulation in rind of afruit is inhibited in major grape cultivar such as “Kyoho”. Wild variety “Ryukyuganebu”
distributes over subtropical Amami Islands and Ryukyu Islands, has a dark color of the rindof a fruit even under a high temperature. The new varieties were crossbred with this“Ryukyuganebu” and “Muscat of Alexandria", and “Kadaino R-1” accumulating a highanthocyanin even under high temperature was selected and introduced for brewing of winewith a superior polyphenol content and manufactured as the Kagawa University brand wine.

Combination of Crossbreeding“Kadaino R-1”

Kagawa University
Brand Wine

The First Prefecture-originated Rice for Sake-Brewing: “Sanukiyoimai”
In 1995, breeding program of rice varieties suitable for Sake brewing in Kagawa wasstarted by requests of the Kagawa brewer cooperation. Crossbreeding of "Ohtose" and"Yamada-Nishiki" was continued for ten years, and finally the team of Kagawa
University, Kagawa Prefecture, and Kagawa brewing cooperative selected and registered“Sanukiyoimai” in 2006, "Sanukiyoimai" shows excellent characters such as a large grain,
few protein contents, and a high yield. All Sake-brewing makers in Kagawa prefectureuse “Sanukiyoimai” now.

2Superior Kiwifruit cultivar ‘Sanuki Kiwiｃｃo’ introduced by breeding program
Kagawa University, Faculty of Agriculture, and Kagawa Agricultural
Experimental Station started a joint breeding program in 2006. After 8 yearsof Kiwifruit breeding with wild variety “Shima Sarunashi” originated inJapan, the breeding program brought 5 cultivars with superior characterswhich are easy to grow and their fruits are a half size compering with thoseof regular Kiwifruit cultivars and have high sugar content with 17-18%.
These cultivars were named as “Sanuki Kiwicco®” as the brand name andcommercialized on January 2014 mainly in fruit shops carrying high grade
fruits in major department stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kagawa prefecture.

Fruits package of “Sanuki Kiwicco” Natural view of fruits on the tree

Content analysis

Olive product: olive leaf extract for health-oriented food products
Olive cultivation and development of olive-related products are the regional
peculiarity of Kagawa prefecture. Olive leaf extract powder containing richpolyphenolic compounds is added to multiple food products for contributing adevelopment of health-oriented foods with functions such as an antioxidativeproperty.

Olive in Shodo island

Bread with olive extracts (Left and right)

Pasta with olive extracts
Olive leaf extract powder3Breeding of low-chill peach varieties with high eating quality

Laboratory of Fruit Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University registered thewhite-fleshed variety ‘KU-PP1’ in 2014 and the yellow-fleshed variety ‘KU-PP2’in 2016. These were selected from the cross-seedlings between the peaches ofsubtropical origin, which have lower chilling requirement for breaking bud
dormancy in winter, and Japanese high chilling peaches, which have excellent
eating quality.
These varieties have much lower chilling requirements than ordinary varieties. This
allows them to flower two to three weeks earlier than ordinary varieties and to ripen
fruit earlier, resulting in harvest in mid-June, the same time as very early varieties.
The new variety has a higher sugar content due to the earlier flowering and longer
growing period of the fruit.
Fruit of these varieties harvested in early June are less susceptible to night mothdamage and high temperature stress in summer. In addition, earlier release from bud
dormancy of these varieties enables the early forcing culture in greenhouses, andadaptation to the conditions of warm winter due to global warming.
Currently, growers in Okayama, Aichi, and Chiba prefectures are conducting
economic cultivation or test planting.

Forcing culture of ‘ KU-PP1 ’

Branch condition of ‘KU-PP1’(top),

Fruit of ‘KU-PP1’(white flesh) andand ‘KU-PP2’ in greenhouse‘ KU-PP2 ’ (middle) and ‘ Hikawa‘KU-PP2’ (yellow flesh)

Hakuho ’ (bottom) on March 24th,
2014