Institute of Crop Science, NARO

The Institute of Crop Science, NARO (NICS) is engaged in the development of new varieties of land-extensive crops such as rice, wheat, and soybeans, as well as the development of breeding technologies that enable efficient and innovative variety improvement. Since these crops are widely used in our daily meals, there is a demand for new varieties that are high-yielding, stable, delicious, and of superior quality. For example, in the case of rice, it is important to respond to breeding goals that reflect changing societal needs, such as varieties suitable for rice flour or feed use, and varieties that maintain grain quality and yield even under high temperatures.

NARO has a history of over 100 years in crop breeding and possesses a diverse and valuable collection of genetic resources that support breeding. NARO led the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project launched in 1997 and achieved the complete decoding of the rice genome (Japanese rice variety "Nipponbare") in 2005. Since then, efforts have continued to identify useful genes in rice, wheat, and soybeans and apply them to breeding. By utilizing DNA markers, it has become possible to efficiently select individuals with desired traits such as resistance to diseases and pests, flowering and maturity characteristics, and suitability for mechanization.

On the other hand, many of the traits required in varieties, such as yield and quality, are complex characteristics controlled by numerous genes, and their improvement involves trial and error. NICS is working to systematically organize breeding information by creating databases of trait data obtained during the breeding process and linking them with genomic information. By utilizing this information, we aim to support the formulation of crossing plans and the selection of promising lines, thereby promoting scientific and efficient crop breeding through "smart breeding.