Research Contents

We are conducting research into improving the productivity of soybeans and other grains known as superfoods, such as foxtail millet, millet, and barnyard millet, in areas affected by desertification and global warming, and in mountainous regions with a lot of abandoned farmland. Agricultural research is a deep, broad, and endlessly fascinating field that can affect the future of humanity and the planet. In our laboratory, we are clarifying the reactions of crops at the organ and individual levels in order to connect the missing links between the molecular and cellular levels and the community level. Why not think deeply about agriculture in Japan and around the world, and the future of the planet, surrounded by the great outdoors of Shinshu?

The future that expands from research

Whether we can continue to live on Earth in the future depends on what we eat, how we live, and what kind of agriculture we practice.
Our goal is to acquire new "meta-knowledge (knowledge that creates knowledge that no one has seen before)" to continue food production without exhausting the Earth's resources or worsening the environment.
As a research method, we place importance on cultivation experiments that prove various phenomena at the individual and tissue levels of crops. Can we prove information about genes and chemicals at the individual level? If we can prove this, we can efficiently contribute to improving agricultural production.

Just a root, but still a root

What happens inside a living root?

Samai (Panicum sumatrense) roots

Samai is a cereal grain native to India. It is sometimes cultivated together with Panicum sumatrense, and when drought continues, the yield of golden samay increases, and when rain is abundant, the yield of samay increases. Aerenchyma is formed inside the roots of Samai, and even if the oxygen level around the roots decreases, oxygen diffuses from the above-ground part to the tip of the root through the aerenchyma.

Roots of barnyard millet (Echinochloa crus-galli subsp. utilis)

Barnyard millet is the only cereal that is believed to have originated in Japan. It has a short growing period, a fast growth rate, and is resistant to drought (dry periods are short due to the short growing period), moisture, cold, high temperature, and salt.
In Japan, barnyard millet was an important food source in the mountainous regions of northern Japan until rice cultivation in cold regions was established. It also contains a lot of dietary fiber, calcium, and iron.
Barnyard millet has a short growing period and is resistant to environmental stress, so it can be cultivated widely from flat areas to mountainous regions around the world, even when temperatures and precipitation fluctuate due to global warming, or during disasters. It is a nutritious grain that can be cultivated widely from flat areas to mountainous regions around the world.

Teff (Eragrostis tef) roots

Teff is the smallest grain in the world. Its name means "lost," as it is impossible to find once it is lost. Why is such a small grain edible?
It has been revealed that teff roots also have aerenchyma, making them resistant to moisture damage. They are also resistant to drought, salt, and high temperatures.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica)roots

Along with millet, foxtail millet is said to be one of the oldest crops, and is cultivated widely around the world. It is particularly drought-resistant, forming many fine roots. Unfortunately, the formation of aerenchyma inside the roots is very slow, making it vulnerable to moisture damage.