JIRCAS, in collaboration with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), the University of Miyazaki, and Can Tho University in Vietnam, has conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the effects of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to global warming, and reducing environmental impact in the rural areas of the Mekong Delta. External Link: JIRCAS
Researchers from National Agriculture and Food Research Organization(NARO) et.al have revealed that the maturation of wild sika deer is accelerated by consumption of agricultural crops from the analysis of the nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N value) of deer bone collagen. This result indicates that preventive measures for invasion of deer into farmland and culling of individuals causing feeding damage of agricultural crops are effective in controlling agricultural damage not only now but also in the future. Moreover, since the δ15N value was effective as an index of agricultural crop consumption of deer, it can be expected to be used for elucidating the characteristics of individuals causing feeding damage of agricultural crops using the δ15N value and for developing deer damage management strategies. Read more
NARO, in collaboration with Okayama Prefectural Technology Center for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Research and Okayama JA Livestock Co., Ltd. has demonstrated at the farm facilities that the greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by approximately 80% in swine wastewater treatment facilities by introducing a carbon fiber reactor we developed. By introducing this reactor to processing facilities nationwide, it is estimated that it can reduce 6 hundred thousand tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) of greenhouse gas emissions annually. This achievement of reduced greenhouse gas emissions will contribute to the sustainable livestock production. Read more
The Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO (NILGS) and Institute of Agro-biological Science (NIAS), in collaboration with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Kyoto Sangyou University, has succeeded in deciphering the full genome sequence of the Japanese honey bee. Japanese honey bee has many useful properties including strong disease resistance as compared to the Western honey bee. Disease resistance of both honey bees can be analyzed at the genetic level by means of comparing the genome of the decoded Japanese honey bee with that of Western honey bee. This result will contribute to the development of more useful technologies for utilization of honey bees.Read more
The Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO (NILGS-NARO) has succeeded in improving the growth performance in four Japanese slow-growing brand chickens, i.e., Hinai-jidori, Okumino-kojidori, Amakusa Daioh cross, and Miyazaki-jitokko, by molecular marker-assisted selection, in collaboration with the Akita Prefectural Livestock Experimental Station, the Gifu Prefectural Livestock Research Institute, the Kumamoto Prefectural Agricultural Research Center, and the Miyazaki Prefectural Livestock Research Institute. It is expected to be applicable for improving growth performance of the other slow-growing chickens.Read more
