The 2017 Organic Farming Innovation Award (OFIA) Science Prize was awarded to Dr. Hiroshi Uchino, Senior Researcher of the Forage Production Group, Division of Livestock and Forage Research, TARC/NARO. The OFIA is given by IFOAM-Organics International to recognize scientists, extension agents and practitioners engaged in organic innovations around the world. The awarding ceremony was held on November 10, 2017 in conjunction with the 19th Organic World Congress in New Delhi, India.
Dr. Uchino was awarded for his work on the use of cover crops for weed suppression. He developed a simple method to measure the 'vegetation cover ratio' (the percentage of area covered by vegetation to unit soil surface area) of each crop species to evaluate the relationship between growth traits of cover crops and weed suppression. His findings will help organic farmers to better use cover crops for weed suppression based on scientific knowledge not only in Japan but also in other countries. Click here to read more
