IInnttern
ernaattio
ionnaall C
Cen
entterer ffoorr RReesseearc
archh andand
EEdduucae (ICcattioionn inin Ag
Agricuricultltuurre(ICRREEA),A), Nag
Nagoyaoya UniUniveversrsiittyy

Inter
Internatio
national
nal Cent
Centerer ffoorr Res
Resea
earch
rch aanndd
Educatio
Educationn inin A
Agrgricultur
iculturee ((ICREAICREA),) , Na
Naggooyyaa Un
Univers
iversityity

R e se ar c h ac tivities■Tropical Bioresources Lab.

■Genetic Information for Bioresources Lab.

Development of ﬂood-adaptive rice cultivation technology

Genetic improvement of rice to secure stable rice production in unfavorable environments

The world has witnessed a rapid increase in major ﬂooding events. In ﬂood-prone regions, rice must be planted during the
deepwater ﬂood phase of the rainy season in order to prevent rice crops from sustaining damage from dryness during thelate stage of growth. Inevitably, this puts the rice crops at risk of ﬂood damage during the early stage of growth
In addition to reevaluating the double-transplanting technique that has been used in the
low-lying swamps along the east coast of Sumatra and the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia,
we have been investigating the growth response of the locally grown rice varieties to ﬂoods
to identify the traits associated with ﬂood adaptation of rice varieties that are grown inseveral diﬀerent regions with varying water depth levels and varying periods of deepwaterFirst transplanting
ﬂood phase. Our goal here is to ensure stable production of rice crops in ﬂood-prone regions(second transplanting
through the use of traditional techniques, and to improve cultivation technology that not only
will be done after 20 days)
help mitigate the harmful eﬀects of submergence stress but also facilitate recovery from ﬂood
damage.

Development International Sago Palm Project for food security improvement

03

Agricultural production must increase by 70% globally to feed the world's population that isprojected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Climate change and diminishing underground resources(including oil) also pose serious challenges to food security, and we need to focus on how we
can enhance agricultural production/productivity in a sustainable way while minimizing
post-harvest biomass losses. In view of this, our research group focused its attention on sago
palms that grow naturally in Southeast Asian and South Paciﬁc regions.
This palm adapts well to infertile/acid soils or brackish-water regions that are generally
unsuited for crop cultivation. Furthermore, one palm can yield approximately 300 kg ofstarch. Sago is a staple food for local residents, and is used as an ingredient in biscuits,
noodles, and other food products. Sago ﬂour is used as bench ﬂour for udon noodle making inJapan. As an ingredient of choice for people with food allergies, sago has recently been used
in a number of cosmetics as well. With only 10% of the wild and semi-cultivated sago palm
stands believed to be harvested for use today, there is much room left for further exploitationof this economic plant.
In our laboratory, we are investigating the mechanism through which sago palms adapt tosaline and acidic soils. Furthermore, we are carrying out ﬁeld surveys to monitor the growthof sago palms to inform our eﬀorts to develop an eﬀective cultivat ion management strategy
that enables stable growth of sago palms.
(Hiroshi EHARA)

In addition to the conventional cross breeding and mutation breeding
technologies, novel breeding techniques, such as quantitative trait
locus (QTL) analysis (which identiﬁes QTLs associated with stress
tolerance) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) (which can quickly
and accurately identify the presence of a speciﬁc quantitative trait
locus) are now available to breed improved rice varieties with a
Growth inhibition of rice under
greater eﬃciency, thanks to the recent
unfavorable environments
research advancements in the ﬁeld ofagricultural sciences. Novel techniques, such as
next generation sequencing (NGS) (whichquickly and inexpensively provides genome-wide
genetic information on living organisms) andnew plant breeding techniques (NBT) (newapproach to genome editing) have also beendeveloped. We are using these technologies toachieve genetic improvement of rice with thegoal of securing stable rice production in
unfavorable environments.
Research activities for development of new rice varieties
with tolerance to environmental stresses(Yoshiaki INUKAI)

Measurement of physiologicalparameters at the pilot farm ofsago palm in Southeast Sulawesi,
Indonesia

04■Practical Studies in Africa Lab.
Improvement of rice productivity under environmental stress conditions in Africa
Sagopalm ﬁeld in Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia

In many sub-Saharan African countries, it is fundamental to boost rice production
because the increased rice consumption exceeds the growth in domestic rice production.
However, rice yields in sub-Saharan Africa have remained low due to various biotic andabiotic stresses. The Laboratory of Practical Studies in Africa is making comprehensive
eﬀorts to increase and stabilize rice yield under such unfavorable environments. Our
research activities include development of new varieties suitable for the local
environments, evaluation of gene-expression and local adaptability of rice varieties
carrying useful genes/QTL, development of cultivation technologies to maximize thepotential of rice varieties, elucidation of socio-economic conditions for technology
dissemination.
https://rice-africa.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp/

Photosynthesis measurement
in a paddy ﬁeld (Mwea, Kenya)

Evaluation of root adaption to soil environments with water and nutrient stress in rice

To establish stable and sustainable crop production under unfavorable soil environments is an important issue. As a trait
related to crop stress tolerance, in recent years attention has been focused on root traits, which have been retrenchedrequiring a great deal of time and eﬀort. The root system architecture and anatomy change in response to changing soil
environments. We are undertaking research on root system structure and its physiological function for adaption to soil
environmental stress such as drought and nitrogen deﬁciency, mainly focusing on rice. We are also investigating themethods for evaluating root traits from hydroponic conditions to soil culture conditions using root box and tubes.
(Mana KANO-NAKATA)

Root systemarchitecture in rice

Field experiment in Philippines

Root length measurement
by image analysis

Cold weather damage on
rice panicles (Mwea, Kenya)

Combatting root-parasitic weed Striga using suicide germination stimulant in Africa
The root-parasitic weed Striga hermonthica has been causing huge problems on cereal
production in sub-Saharan Africa. Striga seeds germinate in response to plant hormones
called strigolactones released from the roots of host plants, and then infest the host. In
the absence of host plants, Striga dies within 4 days after germination. Recently, ourcollaborators developed a Striga-selective suicide germination stimulant called
Sphinolactone-7 (SPL7). It can induce germination of Striga without host plants. The
Laboratory of Practical Studies in Africa is working with researchers inside and outside
our university to develop a Striga control method using SPL7. Our research activities
include veriﬁcation of the eﬀects of SPL7, evaluation of the genetic diversity of Stiga, andelucidation of socio-economic conditions for technology dissemination.
(Daigo MAKIHARA)

Maize infested with Striga(a plant with purple ﬂowers) in Kenya

IInnttern
ernaattio
ionnaall C
Cen
entterer ffoorr RReesseearc
archh andand
EEdduucae (ICcattioionn inin Ag
Agricuricultltuurre(ICRREEA),A), Nag
Nagoyaoya UniUniveversrsiittyy

Inter
Internatio
national
nal Cent
Centerer ffoorr Res
Resea
earch
rch aanndd
Educatio
Educationn inin A
Agrgricultur
iculturee ((ICREAICREA),) , Na
Naggooyyaa Un
Univers
iversityity

R e se ar c h ac tivities■Tropical Bioresources Lab.

■Genetic Information for Bioresources Lab.

Development of ﬂood-adaptive rice cultivation technology

Genetic improvement of rice to secure stable rice production in unfavorable environments

The world has witnessed a rapid increase in major ﬂooding events. In ﬂood-prone regions, rice must be planted during the
deepwater ﬂood phase of the rainy season in order to prevent rice crops from sustaining damage from dryness during thelate stage of growth. Inevitably, this puts the rice crops at risk of ﬂood damage during the early stage of growth
In addition to reevaluating the double-transplanting technique that has been used in the
low-lying swamps along the east coast of Sumatra and the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia,
we have been investigating the growth response of the locally grown rice varieties to ﬂoods
to identify the traits associated with ﬂood adaptation of rice varieties that are grown inseveral diﬀerent regions with varying water depth levels and varying periods of deepwaterFirst transplanting
ﬂood phase. Our goal here is to ensure stable production of rice crops in ﬂood-prone regions(second transplanting
through the use of traditional techniques, and to improve cultivation technology that not only
will be done after 20 days)
help mitigate the harmful eﬀects of submergence stress but also facilitate recovery from ﬂood
damage.

Development International Sago Palm Project for food security improvement

03

Agricultural production must increase by 70% globally to feed the world's population that isprojected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Climate change and diminishing underground resources(including oil) also pose serious challenges to food security, and we need to focus on how we
can enhance agricultural production/productivity in a sustainable way while minimizing
post-harvest biomass losses. In view of this, our research group focused its attention on sago
palms that grow naturally in Southeast Asian and South Paciﬁc regions.
This palm adapts well to infertile/acid soils or brackish-water regions that are generally
unsuited for crop cultivation. Furthermore, one palm can yield approximately 300 kg ofstarch. Sago is a staple food for local residents, and is used as an ingredient in biscuits,
noodles, and other food products. Sago ﬂour is used as bench ﬂour for udon noodle making inJapan. As an ingredient of choice for people with food allergies, sago has recently been used
in a number of cosmetics as well. With only 10% of the wild and semi-cultivated sago palm
stands believed to be harvested for use today, there is much room left for further exploitationof this economic plant.
In our laboratory, we are investigating the mechanism through which sago palms adapt tosaline and acidic soils. Furthermore, we are carrying out ﬁeld surveys to monitor the growthof sago palms to inform our eﬀorts to develop an eﬀective cultivat ion management strategy
that enables stable growth of sago palms.
(Hiroshi EHARA)

In addition to the conventional cross breeding and mutation breeding
technologies, novel breeding techniques, such as quantitative trait
locus (QTL) analysis (which identiﬁes QTLs associated with stress
tolerance) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) (which can quickly
and accurately identify the presence of a speciﬁc quantitative trait
locus) are now available to breed improved rice varieties with a
Growth inhibition of rice under
greater eﬃciency, thanks to the recent
unfavorable environments
research advancements in the ﬁeld ofagricultural sciences. Novel techniques, such as
next generation sequencing (NGS) (whichquickly and inexpensively provides genome-wide
genetic information on living organisms) andnew plant breeding techniques (NBT) (newapproach to genome editing) have also beendeveloped. We are using these technologies toachieve genetic improvement of rice with thegoal of securing stable rice production in
unfavorable environments.
Research activities for development of new rice varieties
with tolerance to environmental stresses(Yoshiaki INUKAI)

Measurement of physiologicalparameters at the pilot farm ofsago palm in Southeast Sulawesi,
Indonesia

04■Practical Studies in Africa Lab.
Improvement of rice productivity under environmental stress conditions in Africa
Sagopalm ﬁeld in Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia

In many sub-Saharan African countries, it is fundamental to boost rice production
because the increased rice consumption exceeds the growth in domestic rice production.
However, rice yields in sub-Saharan Africa have remained low due to various biotic andabiotic stresses. The Laboratory of Practical Studies in Africa is making comprehensive
eﬀorts to increase and stabilize rice yield under such unfavorable environments. Our
research activities include development of new varieties suitable for the local
environments, evaluation of gene-expression and local adaptability of rice varieties
carrying useful genes/QTL, development of cultivation technologies to maximize thepotential of rice varieties, elucidation of socio-economic conditions for technology
dissemination.
https://rice-africa.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp/

Photosynthesis measurement
in a paddy ﬁeld (Mwea, Kenya)

Evaluation of root adaption to soil environments with water and nutrient stress in rice

To establish stable and sustainable crop production under unfavorable soil environments is an important issue. As a trait
related to crop stress tolerance, in recent years attention has been focused on root traits, which have been retrenchedrequiring a great deal of time and eﬀort. The root system architecture and anatomy change in response to changing soil
environments. We are undertaking research on root system structure and its physiological function for adaption to soil
environmental stress such as drought and nitrogen deﬁciency, mainly focusing on rice. We are also investigating themethods for evaluating root traits from hydroponic conditions to soil culture conditions using root box and tubes.
(Mana KANO-NAKATA)

Root systemarchitecture in rice

Field experiment in Philippines

Root length measurement
by image analysis

Cold weather damage on
rice panicles (Mwea, Kenya)

Combatting root-parasitic weed Striga using suicide germination stimulant in Africa
The root-parasitic weed Striga hermonthica has been causing huge problems on cereal
production in sub-Saharan Africa. Striga seeds germinate in response to plant hormones
called strigolactones released from the roots of host plants, and then infest the host. In
the absence of host plants, Striga dies within 4 days after germination. Recently, ourcollaborators developed a Striga-selective suicide germination stimulant called
Sphinolactone-7 (SPL7). It can induce germination of Striga without host plants. The
Laboratory of Practical Studies in Africa is working with researchers inside and outside
our university to develop a Striga control method using SPL7. Our research activities
include veriﬁcation of the eﬀects of SPL7, evaluation of the genetic diversity of Stiga, andelucidation of socio-economic conditions for technology dissemination.
(Daigo MAKIHARA)

Maize infested with Striga(a plant with purple ﬂowers) in Kenya