Date
October 30, 2013 (Wednesday) 13:50~16:30
Site
NARO Western Region Agricultural Research Center (NARO/WARC) in Fukuyama City
Fields of local farmers in Shingai, Fukuyama City
Visitors
Advisor to Academy Members, Department of Soil Improvement, Water Resources and Forest Resources, Russian Academy of Agricultural SciencesMr. Nikolay Dubenok
Director of the Research Institute of the Environment and Development of the Volga Valley, Russian Academy of Agricultural SciencesMr. Sergei Semenenko
Leader(1) and interpreter(1)
Summary of the visit
The "Japanese and Russian agricultural technology exchange business" was established in 1962, as the "Japanese and Soviet agricultural technology exchange business", and began its history of dispatching agricultural research teams to the respective states. The Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences arranges the Russian visits to Japan. The Japanese/Russian research team aims to collect/exchange information of mutual interest, and one of the themes for the Russian team this year was "Irrigation Technology".
The Department of Soil Improvement, Water Resources and Forest Resources of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences has 14 research institutes, in locations from Europe to the Far East, and conducts research projects concerned with such things as irrigation and effective usage of land.
One of the research institutes, in Volgograd, is researching the potential value of drip irrigation, instead of water sprinkling, as part of the broader theme of irrigation and production techniques for vegetables in areas with water shortage. This is the background of this visit.
At NARO Western Region Agricultural Research Center (NARO/WARC), Mr. Okuno, Head of the Farming Systems and Agro-Environmental Technologies Research Division, described the center's paddy rotation system involving four crops produced in two years, utilizing a subsurface irrigation-drainage system (commercial name: FOEAS); and took the team to the NARO/WARC field to see the actual system at work.
With respect to drip irrigation, Mr. Kasahara, a senior researcher in the Farming Systems and Agro-Environmental Technologies Research Division, described the structure and water-saving effectiveness of a solar radiation control type 'heartbeat' irrigation system, and the increased yield resulting from providing water and fertilizer at the same time. Mr. Kasahara also took the team to the NARO/WARC eggplant field and to the local demonstration field of a fig farmer in Fukuyama City.
The Russian team showed great interest in the information, especially regarding the increase in yield and the amount of water supplied by irrigation.
 Photo taken after the presentation to the team (two on the left) |
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 Inspection of the NARO/WARC eggplant field by the team Mr. Kasahara giving explanation |
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 Team inspection of the field utilizing a subsurface irrigation-drainage system (FOEAS). Mr. Okuno giving explanation |
