JIRCAS conducts agricultural research both internationally through collaborations and domestically within Japan. The document outlines JIRCAS's research activities, including highlights on climate change adaptation, rural development projects, genetic engineering of stress-tolerant crops, phosphorus deficiency in rice, and improving livelihoods in rural Indo-China. The presentation was given by JIRCAS President Masa Iwanaga at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia on October 22, 2012.

1. JIRCAS
Research Activities
at JIRCAS
Masa Iwanaga
President
Japan International Research Center
for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
CIAT, Cali, Colombia
October 22, 2012

2. Contents
1. Overall introduction of JIRCAS
2. Research highlights

3. Structure of National Agricultural R&D System
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries Research Council (AFFRC)
AFFRC Secretariat Forestry Fisheries
Agency Agency
National Agricultural
Research Organization (NARO)
Forestry and
Fisheries
National Institute of Agrobiological Forest
Research
Sciences (NIAS) Products
Agency
Research
(FRA)
National Institute for Agro- Institute
Environmental Sciences (NIAES) (FFPRI)
Japan International Research Center
for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
4 organization are planned to be merged in April
2014.

4. Focal point of Japanese agriculture research
for international collaboration
Intersection of international and domestic research
Oversea organizations Japanese organizations

5. GRiSP Coordinating Committee in Japan (GCCJ)
GRiSP
MAFF
J-FARD JIRCAS
JISNAS NARO NIAS NIAES
Universities NICS NARC Others

7. On-going Research Activities
as JIRCAS-Partner Collaboration
J
J
4
J
J

8. Research Highlight - Program A
1. Climate change research
2. Rural development using the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM)
3. BNI (Biological nitrification inhibition)

9. Program A: Flagship Project
Development of agricultural technologies in developing regions to respond to C.C.
Impact evaluation
• Land suitability analysis using GIS Target countries
• Supply-and-demand model of crops
Impact evaluation of
• World food model C.C. by model analysis Rain-fed, irrigated rice cultivating areas
Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, B
Adaptation angladesh, Philippines, Laos, Sri
Lanka
• Seasonal weather forecasting
• Decision Support System for rain- Climate-change South America and East Africa
fed rice adaptation technology in Paraguay and Ethiopia
• Climate-proof rice rain-fed rice areas
• Water management of inter-
connected tank irrigation systems
• Dyke system in high flood area GHG emission reduction
Mitigation Non-conventional resources Reduction of methane
(TMR, Silage) emission from ruminant
Feeding management of ruminants
Introduction of AWD to
Water-saving rice cultivation dry-season rice cultivation GHG
Alternate wet and dry (AWD) reduction Sustainable
Biogas digester from rural
VACB (Orchard, Fish, Pig and paddy
Biogas) system communities
field with low
Use of
Carbon sequestration GHG
CDM
GHG mitigation through emission
afforestation and Agro-forestry Increase carbon sinks Forest
• Agro-forestry CDM
Carbon sequestration into farm • Organic fertilizer Project
land (Long-term experiment)

10. Control of GHG emissions from rice farming and ruminants
Demonstrate the effect of water Establishment of gas emission
saving technologies for the Methane monitoring methods
reduction of GHG emission Nitrous oxide
Chamber method
Livestock Tracer method
Paddy
fields Thai &
AWD: Alternate Vietnam Vietnam SF6
Wet and Dry
• CH4 reduction Reduce the
• Control N2O by the timing and contribution of Improve feeding management,
480
amount of fertilizer application paddy field to Effect of feed additive
global warming
CH4 Emission（kg CH4 /ha/crop）
• Cost reduction by less use of pump
Development of low GHG emission
• Use organic matter in the plot
livestock production system
320
• Keep yield
Technologies for mitigating GHG emissions
160
Increase in Increase in
0
productivity farmers’ income
Control AWD
Sample data obtained in IRRI
Rice straw 4t ha-1 crop-1

11. Formulation of a CDM project for introduction of biogas digester
A CDM project to introduce 917 units of biogas digester in 3 districts in Can Tho City. The GHG
emission reduction is achieved by substituting fossil fuel and nonrenewable firewood with renewable
biogas. Annual GHG emission reduction is 1,045 tCO2/year (1.14 tCO2/year*917 units).
Biogas Fruit garden
Pig pen digester
Vegetable
Biogas
Aquaculture
Irrigation
Excreta
Leftover Effluent
foods
Sediments
V：Vuon （ Orchard） Biogas digester contributes:
A： （
Ao Pond） Farmer’s income by the reduction of fuel cost
C：Chuong （ pen） Improvement of environment
Pig
B：Biogas Initial costs for Biogas digester
Image of VACB system

12. Acquisition of CER by the small-scale reforestation CDM
project, formulated in low income communities in Paraguay
A model of rural development applying reforestation CDM in low income communities in Paraguay. The
acquisition of CER will be expected in 2013, followed by the verification activity in February, 2013.
CER: Certified Emission Reduction CDM: Clean Development Mechanism
Objective Increase of farmers’ income Until registration of CDM
Formulation by JIRCAS
Methodology of small scale AR-CDM
(Approval of Gov.
Formulation of PDD
Approval of Gov.
of Paraguay
Activities of Validation of DOE: 7-10/Mar/2008
of Japan)
Rural development based on CDM Validation of the project
JIRCAS
Approval of Paraguay: 25/Nov/2008
Capacity building Soil conservation Income Registration in
and training of Approval of Japan: 6/Mar/2009
activities from CER UNFCCC
farmers Registration of CDM Executive board
Activities for land in UNFCCC (CDM-EB) : 6/Sep/2009
Female activities productivity increase Until issuance of CER
for income Acquisition
and production of CER Implementation by JIRCAS (area,
generation diversification (Carbon credit) Monitoring location, diameter, etc.): Jul-Aug/2012
Introduction of Activities of Verification of carbon removals
micro-credit reforestation CDM Verification of DOE by sinks February/2013
Certification of Certification of CERs by CDM-EB
Actual situation
UNFCCC 2013
Serious soil Low productivity Low
erosion & soil in agriculture and income Issuance of CERs by CDM-EB
degradation livestock Issuance of CERs
2013
Rural development project using reforestation CDM Flow of procedure of CDM
Producing seedlings Planting seedlings Grown trees Monitoring trees

14. Biological Nitrification Inhibition in Brachiaria
Pastures can reduce N2O emissions
Brachialactone High BNI capacity leads to low-
identified as the major N2O emission
nitrification inhibitor JIRCAS – CIAT collaborative study – CIAT field site at
released from the roots of B. Colombia
humidicola.
500
(PNAS 106, 17302, 2009)
Patented by JIRCAS Con
400
C um ulative N 2 O em ission
Soy
(m g N 2 O -N m y )
2 -1
300
PM
BHM
200 BH-679
Root-produced
nitrification 100 BH-16888
inhibitors
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
-1 -1
B N I capacity of the species (A T U g root dry w t. d )
Nitrate
Ammonium Nitrite
Ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria Nitrite-oxidizing Bacteria (NO3-)
(NH4+) (NO2-)
G. V. Subbarao et al. (2012) Biological nitrification inhibition-Novel strategy to regulate nitrification in agricultural systems. Advances in Agronomy 114, 249-302

15. Sorghum releases two types of BNIs from roots
Automated hydroponic system
A droplet of yellow oily
substance exuding from
sorghum root hairs
BNI activity released from
sorghum roots
Hydrophobic BNIs
O
OH
O
O
Hydrophilic BNIs
Sorgoleone
Root exudate collection in sorghum May confine to rhizosphere –
movement is mostly due to diffusion
May move farther from the roots –
likely move with water

16. Wild-wheat has high-BNI capacity
CIMMYT’s Collaboration
35
L. racemosus
30
N H 4 -N grow n
B N I activity released from roots
N O 3 -N grow n
(A T U g root dry w t. d )
-1
25
20
15
-1
10
Nobeoka Chinese Spring
5
0
0 1 2 3 4
P lant species
Releases about 150 to 200 AT units of
BNI da-1 under optimum conditions

17. Can the high-BNI capacity of wild-wheat be
transferred/expressed in cultivated wheat?
Would this be the first step to develop low-nitrifying and low-N2O
emitting wheat production systems?
Yokohama city Univ. & Tottori Univ. and CIMMYT’s Collaboration
Production of wheat-Leymus racemosus-addition lines BNI released from Chromosome-addition lines derived from
L. racemosus and cultivated wheat (Chinese Spring)
L.
Genetic Stock L. racemosus BNI released
Leymus racemosus Triticum aestivum
2N=4X =28;
genome Ns NsXmXm
cv. Chinese Spring
2N=6X =42;
chromosome (ATU g-1 root dry Also, brings
genome AABBDD
introduced wt d-1) rust
DALr-n Lr-n 24.6 sensitivity
F1 hybrid Triticum aestivum L.
cv. Chinese Spring
2N=6X =42;
genome AABBDD DALr-j Lr-j 13.5
DALr-I Lr-I 13.0
BC1F1 hybrid Controls
DALr-1 Lr-1 6.4 Ammonium
DALr-k Lr-k tolerance
5.5
BC7F1 hybrid
DALr-F Lr-F 4.1
DALr-H Lr-H 3.7
DA2Lr-1 2Lr-1 3.2
DA5Lr-1 5Lr-1 6.6
DtA7Lr-1-1 7Lr-1-1 6.4
DtA7Lr-1-2 7Lr-1-2 4.9
A B LSD (0.05) 3.9
Two Lr#n L. racemosus chromosomes in wheat detected by florescence in Efforts are underway to generate tranlsocations incorporating
situ hybridization with probe of L. racemosus genomic DNA (green color) smaller segments of Lr#n, Lr#I or Lr#J to reduce problems
associated with the linkage drag

18. Research Highlight - Program B
1. Genetic engineering for stress-
tolerant crops
2. Phosphorus deficiency in rice

19. Development of Abiotic Stress Tolerant Crops by DREB Genes
Molecular
B L
elucidation of
stress tolerance
Promoter B L
and
+ Gene Expression of
efficient method
Identification and target genes
of gene
isolation of useful expression
promoters and genes
Constructs and their functions
Expression of
trans genes
Wheat Low-land Rice Up-land Rice NERICA
GH at CIMMYT
Transformants Fixed lines
SH at IRRI Rain-out shelter at CIAT

20. Evaluation for Drought Tolerance
No of lines produced and evaluated.
No. of cali / Positive S ingle S HGH*/Field
Promising
embryos events copy evaluation *SHGH: Screen house
and/ or Green house
280,358 10671< 2766< 924< 92
Contained Filed at CG Centers and Fielder Fielder
Dates of Approval Drought Irrigated
CIAT: Palmira 2.0 ha 2008.
3
Santa Rosa 0.6 ha 2010. 12
CIMMYT: Tlaltizapan 0.4 ha
2009. 8 Wheat evaluation (Tlaltizapan, CIMMYT)
IRRI: Los Banos 0.2 ha
2010. 1
Lowland Field Evaluation (IRRI) Upland Field Evaluation (Santa Rosa, CIAT)

21. Enhancing Tolerance to P Deficiency in Rice
A. Assessing genotypic variation in field and greenhouse studies
P uptake and biomass accumulation on a Root anatomy and architecture and how these
P deficient field (Tsukuba & Ghana) traits are related to P uptake (Tsukuba)
B. Conventional QTL mapping and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)
A major QTL for P
uptake, Pup1, was fine-
mapped to chromosome 12
Pup1
Through GWAS new sources
of tolerance are identified

22. From Pup1 to OsPSTOL1
Nature, 2012
Sequencing of the Pup1 QTL region in donor ‘Kasalath’ revealed a large Indel region absent in Niopponbare
and most modern lowland varieties. The main gene at Pup1, OsPSTOL1, is located in this unique region.
Transgenic lines strongly expressing PSTOL1 PSTOL1 expression is detected in the crown, particularly in
out-compete control lines under P deficiency developing crown root primordia > root number increases

23. Marker assisted introgression of Pup1
Partners for Pup1
MAS
• Collaborations for Pup1-MAS with IRRI and
AfricaRice and their NARES partners as part of GRiSP
• Collaboration with AfricaRice on fine-mapping a new
QTL (Pup2) from Oryza glaberrima
Pup1 locus introgressed into IR74
• New JIRCAS and GRiSP projects to enhance P use
efficiency, not just P uptake

24. Research Highlight - Program C
1. Improving livelihood in the rural areas
of Indo-China
2. Biofuel production from non-food
biomass

25. The Establishment of Sustainable and Independent Farm
Household Economy in the Rural Areas of Indo-China
Purpose
To improve the farmers’ livelihoods in upland areas in Lao PDR,
by the establishment of sustainable and profitable farming systems
Stable and Sustainable Sufficient Utilization and
Productivity Appropriate Management of
for self-sufficiency Rural Natural Resources
Improvement
Compatible of the farmers’
livelihoods
Increasing Cash Income Supported by
(Profitability) Simple and Nature-friendly
through commercialization Technologies

27. 2, Development of Technologies
I The Improvement of Self-Sufficient Production
for Stability and Sustainability
Component : Rice, Fish, NTFP’s (Non-Timber Forest Products)
II The Promotion of Commercial Production
with Sustainability
Component : Upland Crops, Livestock, Fruits, Aquaculture

28. 3, Establishment of the Diversified Farming Systems
Combining the developed technologies in I and II
From the viewpoint of
・Appropriate land and water use
・Low inputs
・Ecosystem management
・Sufficient use of organic resources
Improvement of the farmers’ livelihoods
according to farmers’ economic conditions

29. “Asia Biomass Project”
Biofuel production from non-food biomass
Bioethanol from sugarcane or corn
Compete with food consumption and
Steep rise in food prices
Utilization of Non-food biomass
Felled oil palm Promising non-food biomass
８～１０m
Oil palm trees have an
Old trees are felled Felled oil palm trunks contain
economic life span of
and replanted. large quantity of sap.
approximately 25 yrs.

30. Sugar Oil Palm Trunk
C 68% Cane ( after proper aging)
B 75% A B C
(Inner) (Middle) (Outer)
15-25cm Moisture content 68％
70％ 83％ 75％
A 83% ×0.8
Sugar content in
16％ 16％ 14％ 15％
Moisture content of trunk juice or sap
(Moisture; w%) Amount of sugars
112g/kg 95.4g/kg ⇒ 107.8 kg/trunk
contained
Cane or trunk 60-90 154-168 ton/ha
produced per area ton/ha (136-148 trunks/ha)
Possible ethanol 4.5-7.2 9.5-10.3
yield kL/ha kL/ha
Ethanol production
from oil palm sap
80 80
Reducing sugar (g/L)
Ethanol （g/L)
Parenchyma
Reducing
60 60
sugar
40 40
Ethanol
20 20
0 0
Oil palm sap 0 1 2 3 4 5
Vascular Bundles
Time (days)

31. Possible Amount of Ethanol Produced from Oil Palm Trunk
Diameter：３８ｃｍ
Length: 10m
Specific gravity: 1.0
Sap （731L) トランク trunk
From one
1本から
sugar (inner) 16.8kg Solid materials (317kg)
（middle）39.7kg
（outer） 51.3kg Parenchyma (174kg) Vascular Bundles (143kg)
burning
Sugar 発酵糖 (107.8kg)
(107.8kg) Monosaccharide (102kg) Monosaccharide (87kg)
Ethanol: 69.8L 発酵糖
Sugar Sugar
41.4L （63.9kg ）
63.9kg） (59.6kg)
Potential of ethanol production
Indonesia 4.4 Million kL /year
Malaysia 2.7 Million kL /year

32. JIRCAS
Thank you for your attention!!
miwanaga@affrc.go.jp