Project Activities
Collection and conservation of novel genetic resources
Every year, we conduct joint research with the collaborating countries, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Nepal. The report of collaborative field survey will be submitted to the Annual Report on Exploration and Introduction of Plant Genetic Resources (ISSN 0915-602X). This is an open scientific journal from which the articles are freely downloadable from NARO genebank web site shown below.
Please refer to the Outcomes page for more detail.
Elucidation of the characteristics of overseas vegetable genetic resources
| Plant genetic resources | Breeding challenges | Corresponding research |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber (manual) | Resistance to minute insect-borne viral diseases, which have spread due to global warming | Evaluation of resistance to viral diseases |
| Resistance to fungal diseases, which have spread due to the use of bloomless stocks | Evaluation of resistance to fungal diseases (e.g., Corynespora leaf spot) | |
| Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis | |
| Melon (manual) | Resistance to diseases that are spreading in major production areas | Evaluation of resistance to fusarium wilt, Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, etc. |
| Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis | |
| Squash (manual) | Resistance to important diseases against which highly resistant materials have not been discovered | Evaluation of resistance to powdery mildew |
| Development of highly storable cultivars | Evaluation of storability | |
| Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis | |
| Eggplant (manual) | Resistance to disease damage, which is increasing due to global warming | Evaluation of resistance to Bacterial wilt and other diseases |
| Resistance to insects that are causing catastrophic damage in Asia | Evaluation of nematode resistance | |
| Capsicum (e.g., bell pepper) (manual) | Resistance to disease damage, which is increasing due to global warming | Evaluation of resistance to Bacterial wilt and other diseases |
| Provision of new breeding materials with characteristic functional or pigment components | Evaluation of the contents of functional and pigment components |
Elucidation of the characteristics of overseas grain genetic resources
| Plant genetic resources | Breeding challenges | Corresponding research |
|---|---|---|
| Rice (manual) | Response to high-temperature injury and cold weather damage | Evaluation of heading genotype |
| Response to blast in relation to climate change | Evaluation of blast resistance | |
| Elucidation of genetic characteristics related to yield | Evaluation of cultivation characteristics in subtropical regions | |
| Creation of strains with high functional component content | Evaluation of components such as oryzanol | |
| Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis | |
| Amaranth (manual) | Response to low-temperature injury at the seedling stage | Evaluation of low-temperature resistance at the seedling stage |
| Development of grain and leaf vegetable cultivars | Evaluation of grain nutrients Evaluation of suitability as leaf vegetable cultivars |
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| Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis | |
| Sorghum (manual) | Provision of highly diverse breeding materials | Evaluation of diversity by DNA analysis |
Development of breeding materials
| Title | Description | Collaborating organizations |
|---|---|---|
| Development of breeding materials for tomatoes | Breeding materials for tomatoes that exhibit superior fruit-bearing ability under high temperature and disease resistance are being developed. |
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| Development of breeding materials for eggplants | Breeding materials for eggplants with resistance to soil-borne pests and with characteristics that allow cultivation under poor conditions, such as high temperature and high-humidity conditions, are being developed. |
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Development and release of database
PGRAsia has been developing database of characterization and evaluation data obtained through the characteristics studies of plant genetic resources.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Development of released database | Database tables that record characterization and evaluation (C&E) data of various crops and the research methods are being designed, and the database stored with the C&E data is being developed. |
| Development of an entry system for C&E data | A C&E data entry system for overseas plant genetic resources is being developed by investigating a system for efficiently entering C&E data recorded in the collaborating countries into the database. |
| Development of a data retrieval system for the database | A website for the access to the database is being developed and a user-friendly data retrieval system is being developed. |
In the future, C&E data for vegetables and other plants will be available through this website.
Development of multiplication techniques for tropical plant genetic resources that are difficult to multiply in Japan (completed in JFY2015)
| Target plant genetic resources | Description |
|---|---|
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Techniques for effectively growing these plants in a greenhouse and collecting seeds (short-day treatment, low-temperature treatment, phytohormones treatment, etc.) have been investigated and are compiled in a manual. |