The research of this division is conducted mainly in the Daisen Research Station of TARC, located in the Senboku Plains, the northern part of Yokote Basin in the rice farming area of Akita Prefecture. We aim to develop high-yielding new rice cultivars for cool temperate region, and low-input cultivation technologies such as rice direct seeding optimized for these cultivars. For rotational use of lowland fields, we also develop the technologies for the stable production of high-quality soybean in wet field condition. In order to produce new crop varieties efficiently, various new breeding methods, such as selection techniques using genetic markers and genome breeding, have been introduced. We also develop strategies for appropriate management of soil, disease, and weeds using the information and communications technology (ICT) in order to establish the sustainable lowland cop rotation to support large-scale farm management.
The Daisen Research Station was established in Omagari City as the Rikuu Branch of the National Agricultural Experiment Station in 1896, and the Ishinazaka Field in the town of Kariwano in 1908, presently known as the Yotsuya and Kariwano campuses, respectively. The research results have contributed to develop the lowland farming in cold temperate regions for more than 100 years. We aim to conduct the research for the development of regional agriculture in the future, taking advantage of the many results and achievements accumulated through many years of continuous research.
Field experiments in the Daisen Research Station
