Conclusion of MOA on technical cooperation with Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station
NCSS exchanged Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on technical cooperation with Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station (TSIPS headed by its Director, Dr. Tso-Chi Yang on December 16, 2014 in order to promote the technology exchange and technical cooperation. This technical cooperation would be proceeded based on following works operated mutually for three years: (1) Technology for variety identification using SSR markers; (2) Techniques of seed health testing; (3) Techniques of DUS growing test; and (4) Techniques of seed potato propagation, especially hydroponic system.
TSIPS is a governmental institute for breeding for new plant varieties with high quality and disease resistance, and propagation and providing the high quality and healthy seeds and seedlings, studies on efficient propagation technology and systems of seeds and seedlings to increase the competitive capacity of seeds and seedlings industry and establishment and implementation of plant variety protection system to protect breeders' right.According to the conclusion of MOA, NCSS and TSIPS are expected to improve technical capability and increase technology exchange between both staff, in order to improve agricultural productivity and quality of agricultural products in both sides, through our works for production and distribution of quality seeds and seedlings and development of new plant varieties and to encourage those works.
Completion of JICA training course on "Quality Control System of Seeds and Seedlings to Facilitate Distribution of High Quality Seeds"
The training course was conducted at the JICA Tsukuba Center from July 13 and in NCSS from July 24, was completed on October 10, 2014. The contents of the training course was changed to study not only the matters on PVP but also seed testing and seed propagation last year. It means that the participants can study "Quality Control System of Seeds and Seedlings in Japan" comprehensively. And the countries to be invited were expanded to the entire world not only Asia region. As a result, eleven participants from eleven countries, which are Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Moldova, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, participated in the training course. And they studied various techniques in NCSS related to "Quality Control System of Seeds and Seedlings", in the headquaters, Nishinihon, Hokkaido-chuo and Unzen station of NCSS. In particular, a participant from Moldova was the first participant from Eastern Europe. There were many subjects to learn in the course and often traveling around the country. And it was long for the participants because the training period was 2.5 months, so it looks like so hard for them. However, we had a farewell party in the headquaters of NCSS on the final day, and the participants enjoyed the Japanese traditional culture such as rice-cake making, "Mochi tsuki" , make-a-face game, "Fukuwarai" and flowing thin wheat noodles, "Nagshi somen", being reluctant to part from staffs of NCSS.
Visit of the three participants of JICA training course
Visit of the three participants of JICA training course for Sri Lanka, Seed Administration (Seed production/Technology and policy) course, related to the JICA project "Enhancement of Production System of Certified Vegetable Seed in Sri Lanka", to have a lecture on outline of NCSS
JICA training course of "Quality Control System of Seeds and Seedlings to Facilitate Distribution of High Quality Seeds"
Training on DUS Growing Trial under the EAPVP Forum
A training course on DUS growing test as an activity of East Asia Plant Variety Protection (EAPVP) Forum was conducted in the NCSS from February 24 to 28, 2014 upon the request from the authority of Singapore for DUS test, to facilitate PVP system of Singapore and train a staff of Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore in NCSS.Although Singapore is a member country of UPOV, it has been ten years since Singapore joined the UPOV, Singapore has to protect all plant genera and species from next August this year. This means the range of protection for new variety will enlarge to all plants. And conducting the training, we informed other Forum member countries to hold the training course in NCSS. Then the authority of PVP in Malaysia requested to participate in the training course at own budget. Therefore we organized to conduct the training course joining two participants from Singapore and Malaysia. The participants, Ms. Low Huilin, Senior Technologist, Horticulture Technology Division, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore and Ms. Siti Nur Nadia Binti Abdul Razak, Assistant Director, Crop Quality Control Division, Department of Agriculture of Malaysia, are about second year since they joined the work and not so much the experience for DUS test. And they are still beginners for PVP, that's why we organized to conduct the training course, focusing fundamental matters of PVP and DUS growing test. They worked hard the training on DUS growing test even though it was cold every day in Japan and they were in an unfamiliar foreign environment. They had only one week and studied only the fundamental matters on DUS growing test in the training course, however we hope they will work actively in the field of PVP in each country, keeping the knowledge in NCSS.
