The Division of Field Crops and Horticulture Research is composed of three research groups, Crop Breeding Group, Leaf and Root Vegetable Production Group, and Fruit Vegetable Production and Breeding Group. The main objectives of these research groups are (1) development of new varieties of wheat, barley, oilseed rape, buckwheat, strawberry, Chinese cabbage, tomato and onion; and (2) establishment of cultivation systems of leaf and root vegetables suitable for the Tohoku region.
To respond to the growing market-oriented requirements on domestic wheat with high quality comparable to imported wheat and suitable for noodles and bread, we are developing new varieties that adapt well to the climatic conditions of Tohoku region. The cultivation of buckwheat in the Tohoku region in 2015 reached 15.8 hectares which is second-largest cultivation next to Hokkaido. However, the average yield is lower than other regions in Japan. The development of new varieties and cultivation system will enhance the stability and increase in the yield of buckwheat production in the Tohoku region. Oilseed rape is attributed to its favorable agronomic characteristics such as high quality oil which is made by single low (zero erucic acid) and double low (zero erucic acid and low glucosinolate) varieties, usefulness residues obtained after extracting oil as cattle feed and an applicability in crop rotation system. Since Tohoku Agricultural Research Center is the only breeding institute in Japan, the breeding purpose of oilseed rape is selection of varieties for adapting to all Japan climate from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south in Japan.
In Japan, the main harvesting period of onion is from spring production in Kyushu and western Japan to autumn in Hokkaido. The market price of onion is higher in summer which is the period between shipment from the two production areas. Therefore developing a new cropping system, spring-sawing and summer-harvest, in the Tohoku region (Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima) will facilitate for high performance agriculture. We are working on the introduction of new varieties and cultivation system in cooperation with public agricultural experimental stations.
Although strawberry is in demand throughout the year, the demand in summer to autumn is supported by overseas production. The domestic production in summer season is decreased since high temperature is not suited in strawberry production. It is possible to produce a strawberry in the Tohoku region taking advantage of the climatic condition of the cool summer to autumn. We are developing new varieties and cultivation techniques in summer-autumn cultivation of strawberry.
Major crops and vegetables targeted in the field crop and horticulture research division
