The following Nagoya University program was selected for funding offered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the FY2009 Science and Technology Promotion Program.
(Promotion of international joint research) Joint Research Using Advanced Technology to Solve Common Regional Problems
Proposed project: Research for Solving Issues With Rice Cultivation in East Africa
Research representative: Professor Shuichi Asanuma, International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Research
Research Overview: While opportunities to increase rice yields in Sub-Saharan countries are increasing, the spread of rice cultivation is very slow, particularly in Kenya, the principal target country in this project. Promoting rice cultivation has been identified as an urgent and fundamental task in the region, and the project will work to clarify approaches to solving this problem. Interdisciplinary international joint research teams will be organized, areas where rice can be grown will be identified, and their potential will be evaluated. The teams will also work on the following: clarifying obstacles to cultivation, providing plant breeding materials, developing plant breeding strategies, proposing cultivation technologies that will overcome obstacles, clarifying ways yields and cultivation can be increased, and proposing measures for spreading rice growing.
Related websites:
MEXT comments on the summary of the evaluation process and the selection results for FY2009 for the Science and Technology Promotion Program
