Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO

Soybean Breeding Group

In Japan, the total soybean consumption for foods such as tofu, natto, nimame, miso, etc. is approximately 1 million ton per year. Almost all the domestic soybeans are used for soy foods, therefore breeding of new cultivars is indispensable in ensuring a stable supply of safe and secure domestic soybeans. Soybean production in the Tohoku region accounts for one-fourth of Japan's total. Until now, we have bred some major soybean cultivars for this region, such as "Ryuhou", "Isuzu", "Satonohohoemi". We breed new soybean cultivars adaptive for the Tohoku region with high yield, high resistance to diseases such as soybean mosaic virus, high resistance to pests such as soybean cyst nematode, high mechanization applicability such as resistance to lodging and shattering, and high processing suitability for soy foods, while developing labor-saving and high-yield systems through improving plant types and agronomic characteristics. Depending on the trait to be introduced, we use the DNA marker assisted selection as a major breeding technique.

Experimental field for soybean breeding in the Tohoku region

Group Leader

KIKUCHI Akio

Group Members

Centers・Institutes