The Kurume Research Station was established in 1947 in Kurume City, Fukuoka, as a national research institute for horticulture, Kyushu. Since then, it has served as a research base supporting vegetable production in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions and has contributed to the development of regional agriculture.
In the Kyushu and Okinawa regions, a wide variety of vegetables—including strawberries and asparagus—are produced year-round by taking advantage of the warm and humid climate. In recent years, however, vegetable production in warm regions has faced increasing challenges, such as rising temperatures associated with climate change, rising agricultural input costs, and the need to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. To address these issues, the Station places particular emphasis on breeding strawberry and asparagus varieties adapted to climate change, as well as on developing new production systems suited to changing environmental conditions. Through research grounded in the specific characteristics of warm-region climates, the Station aims to establish sustainable and stable vegetable production technologies.
The Station also offers a two-year agricultural technical training program for individuals interested in learning vegetable production and acquiring practical skills in horticulture. Through hands-on training, the program contributes to the development of the next generation of agricultural professionals.
