All-in-One PDF file

ISSN 1342-6648
NIAES
Annual Report
2006
National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences
Japan
Editorial Board
Chairman:
Yohei Sato
President
Vice Chairman:
Masako Ueji
Kiyotaka Miyashita
Vice President
Principal Research Director
Editorial Committee:
Masanori Saito
Tetsuhisa Miwa
Yasuhiro Yogo
Masayoshi Miyamae
Takeshi Fujii
Kenji Miyamoto
Isamu Nouchi
Shinichi Ono
Naomi Fukuda
Sachiko Niizeki
Izumi Maekawa
Principal Research Coordinators
Director, Ecosystem Informatics Division
Director, Organochemicals Division
Head, Public Relations and Information Office
Head, Research Planning Office
Head, Administrative Services Office
Director, Agro-Meteorology Division
Director, Soil Environment Division
Public Relations and Information Office
Public Relations and Information Office
Public Relations and Information Office
Contents
Message from the President ·············································································
Basic Philosophy, Code of Conduct, and Environmental Charter ·
History of NIAES ·································································································
Highlights in 2005 ································································································
Main Research Results ··························································································
Major Symposia and Seminars ··············································································
International and Domestic Research Collaboration ·············································
Advisory Council 2005 ··························································································
Academic Prizes and Awards ················································································
New Research Departments and Centers ··················································
Research Overview and Topics in 2005 ······················································
Research Organization ···························································································
Department of Global Resources ··········································································
Department of Biological Safety ···········································································
Department of Environmental Chemistry ·····························································
Natural Resources Inventory Center ·····································································
Chemical Analysis Research Center ······································································
Research Projects ···································································································
Invitations, Training and Information Events ········································
Symposia and Workshops ······················································································
Foreign Visitors ·····································································································
Overseas Research and Meetings ··········································································
Appendix ··················································································································
Publications ···········································································································
Advisory Council ···································································································
Budget, Staff Numbers and Library Holdings ·······················································
NIAES Campus Map (Site Layout and Main Research Equipment) ····················
Internet Web Site of NIAES ··················································································
Meteorological Information ··················································································
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1
Message from the President
Being willing is not enough; we must do
Dr. Yohei SATO
The National Institute of Agro-Environmental
Sciences became an Independent Administrative
Institution (a semi-autonomous agency) on 1 April 2001
and altered its name to the National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES). The mission of
the new Institute was clearly described in legislation: to
conduct fundamental technological research and other
activities pertaining to the environments of organisms
used in agricultural production, with the aim of helping
to upgrade technologies for the conservation and
improvement of those environments. At the same time, a
5-year Plan with a target year of 2005 was formulated.
The 5-year Plan aimed to achieve the following research
targets, on not only a local but also a global scale, within
the frame of the Institute’s mission:
1) implementation of strategies to ensure stable food
supplies under global environmental change
2) assurance of the safety of food and the environment
by utilizing the natural circulation function of
agriculture
3) succession of our agro-environmental resources to
future generations.
To fulfill the objectives of the 5-year Plan, the
following key concepts were targeted:
1) Publicity, Autonomy and Transparency
2) Safety, Security, Restraint and Succession of
environmental resources
3) International, Interdisciplinary and Interregional
relations
We have reviewed our yearly plans by a strict
post-evaluation of both our production over the previous
year and the degree to which we have fulfilled the
objectives of, and endeavored to steadily implement, the
5-year Plan. To this end, we have examined the
following nine objectives, which are fundamental to the
implementation of the Institute’s functions, and have
2
constantly checked our progress against them:
1) Reception (of ideas from the public, other disciplines,
and policy needs)
2) Research (expansion to solve problems and engage
new issues)
3) Cooperation (with other disciplines and policymakers,
and in the signing of international Memoranda of
Understanding—MOUs)
4) Discussion (in seminars, extension work, and public
education)
5) Accumulation (of information in an agro-ecological
research resource inventory)
6) Evaluation (of research, management, and institutional
mechanisms)
7) Transmission (to specialists, and to the general public
during public evaluation of our work)
8) Proposal (in the form of risk evaluations and
environmental management plans)
9) Dissemination (via the press, TV, journals, and the
Internet).
FY 2005 was the target year of the first 5-year Plan.
We therefore examined our progress, not only what we
have accomplished in FY 2005 but also in achieving the
goals described in the 5-year Plan against the nine
objectives mentioned above. Notably, the implementation
of the 5-year Plan has received high praise from the
evaluation committee constituted by the Ministries.
A new 5-year Plan with a target year of 2010 was
formulated by the end of FY 2005. It will be important
for us to constantly check our progress in achieving the
goals of this new 5-year Plan against the same nine
objectives listed above. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Being
willing is not enough; we must do.” We promise you that
we will resolutely engage in our work, with these words
as our motto.
Many products from FY 2005 are presented in this
annual report, and for your information the new research
and administrative organization are also introduced here.
It will be to our great delight if the reports of our
work in FY 2005 inspire the further development of
research on the agro-environment and are used to solve
agro-environmental problems. A list of research papers
published by NIAES in FY 2005 is included at the end of
the report. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you
have questions about any aspect of agro-environmental
research.
Yohei SATO, Dr. Agr.
President
Basic Philosophy, Code of Conduct, and Environmental Charter
The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) has endeavored to solve a wide range of
environmental problems affecting agriculture, such as the
contamination of agricultural crops by dioxins, radioactive substances, cadmium and other harmful chemical
substances; the environmental impact of genetically
modified food plants and exotic organisms; and the relationship between global environmental change and agriculture. There is increasing concern about the risks to
human health and the environment, and researchers are
being asked to offer solutions based on scientific findings.
The period of NIAES’s phase II medium-term target,
which started in April 2006, calls for emphasizing research on risks in the agricultural environment in order
to ensure the environmental safety that underpins agricultural production. By means of exploratory and basic
research on risk assessment and risk management, NIAES will develop risk mitigation technologies and pass
the benefits of research on to society at large, as well as
contributing to the policy measures of administrative
authorities and international agencies.
NIAES has created the following Basic Philosophy,
Code of Conduct, and Environmental Charter so that
personnel will conduct themselves with a high sense of
ethics and an awareness of their social responsibility, and
undertake to conserve and improve the environment as
they proceed with research under the new medium-term
target and medium-term plan.
Basic Philosophy
NIAES conducts high-level research aiming at the
harmony and coexistence of nature, society, and humans,
thereby helping to overcome food and environmental
problems throughout the world.
Code of Conduct
Philosophy of Conduct
To act with a strong sense of ethics and sound social
judgment for the purposes of building a safe and
worry-free society and preserving an agricultural environment to be passed on to the next generation. To pass
the benefits of NIAES activities on to society at large.
Guidelines for Conduct
・Environmental Research
As a research institute in the forefront of
agro-environmental research in Japan and abroad, NIAES actively conducts high-level research activities to
solve environmental problems related to agricultural
production.
・Legal Compliance
NIAES complies with the relevant laws and social
norms to provide a sound and safe working environment,
and as a member of society undertakes its program activities ethically and with sound judgment. In particular,
there must be no impropriety committed through research activities. Furthermore, NIAES works to partner
with society, assures transparency by upholding openness, fairness, and neutrality, and so enhances its trustworthiness.
・Technology Transfer
To protect and apply the results originating from our
research as intellectual property, NIAES creates the conditions for providing patents and other information and
for domestic and foreign technology transfers.
・Public Communications and Information Disclosure
By publishing the results of studies and research and
by actively disseminating and communicating such results through public lectures and other means, NIAES
provides for the dissemination of research meant to assure the safety of food and the agricultural environment
and also works to release information on program activities.
・Cooperation, Partnership, and International Contributions
By reinforcing partnerships and collaboration with
industry, academia, and government, NIAES promotes
joint research and research cooperation, and extensively
shares the research results with society. NIAES works to
benefit the agro-environmental policies of administrative
authorities and international agencies.
Environmental Charter
Environmental Philosophy
To vigorously carry out research activities on
agro-environmental problems and take positive action to
contribute to conserving and improving the environment
and to building a sustainable recycling society.
Environmental Action Guidelines
・Raising Environmental Consciousness
To create organizations and institutions for environmental management and to work to raise environmental
consciousness.
・Concern for the Environment
To reduce the burden on the environment by being
diligent in everyday activities such as energy conservation, reuse, recycling, and green procurement.
・Publicizing Activities
For the purpose of improving environmental conservation and safety and health in program activities, to
broadly publicize the results of environmental conservation activities by means including preparing environmental reports and posting on the Web.
・Symbiosis with Society
As a member of the local community and international society, to build a cooperative and symbiotic relationship with society and actively conduct environmental
conservation activities.
3
History of NIAES
1893
National Agricultural Experimental Station (NAES) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, a predecessor of the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), is founded.
1950
National Institute of Agricultural Sciences (NIAS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is founded,
succeeding NAES.
1980
NIAS main campus is relocated from Nishigahara, Tokyo, to Tsukuba, Ibaraki.
1983
National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and
Fishery is founded from NIAS to conduct advanced and basic technological development that pertains to the
control, maintenance, and utilization of the agro-environment, including the biological environment.
2001
NIAES becomes a semi-autonomous agency on 1 April and begins its first research period (FY 2001 to FY
2005).
2006
NIAES becomes an autonomous agency on 1 April and begins its second research period (FY 2006 to FY
2010).
The main Building of NIAES
4
Highlights in 2005
Main Research Results
1. 2, 4 - dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - degrading
genes harbored on megaplasmids in bacteria
isolated from paddy fields
We chose 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)degrading bacteria as a model for the microbial degradation of chlorinated aromatic compounds, and we studied
the relationship among the degrading genes, the plasmids,
and the host strains.
Paddy fields have been the main target of 2,4-D application in Japan since the 1950s. Fourteen strains of
2,4-D-degrading bacteria of the genera Burkholderia,
Cupriavidus, and Sphingobium were isolated from soil
samples of paddy fields at eight sites in Japan (Fig. 1).
The strains were divided into three groups on the basis of
group I
group II
group III
Fig. 1 Paddy field sites used for sampling of
2,4-D-degrading bacteria, and classification of
the bacteria according to the nucleotide sequence similarities of their degrading gene
fragments. Black arrowheads indicate strains
that had identical degrading gene fragments,
which were highly homologous to the gene of
Burkholderia strain RASC.
the similarity between the PCR-amplified partial nucleotide sequences of their 2,4-D-degrading genes and those
of known 2,4-D-degrading genes.
The 2,4-D-degrading gene fragments of eight of the
14 strains were identical, even though the eight strains
were isolated from six sites across Japan (Fig. 1). The
nucleotide sequences of the fragments showed 98% and
more similarities to that of Burkholderia cepacia RASC,
a 2,4-D-degrading strain isolated from North America.
There had been no previous reports of bacteria with
2,4-D-degrading gene fragments highly homologous to
those of strain RASC. Our results suggested that bacteria
having RASC-type 2,4-D-degrading genes had been
transferred to these distantly located sites in Japan.
From their 16S rDNA sequences, seven of the eight
strains with the RASC-type 2,4-D-degrading gene were
identified as Burkholderia spp., and the other was identified as Cupriavidus sp. The 16S rDNA sequences of the
seven strains of Burkholderia spp. were not identical,
suggesting that they were different species. These facts
suggested that the 2,4-D-degrading genes of this type
were transferred among bacterial species and genera.
Southern hybridization analysis indicated that the
putative 2,4-D-degrading genes in each of the 14 strains
were located on a large plasmid (ca. 90–600 kb). The
plasmids with the RASC-type 2,4-D-degrading gene
were almost the same size (ca. 600 kb) among the eight
strains (Fig. 2). Our modification of the reported method
for the electrophoresis of plasmids was very effective for
visualizing these large plasmids, which were too large to
extract by the usual alkaline-sodium dodecyl sulfate
method. The results suggested that large plasmids play
an important role in gene transfer among bacteria in the
environment. (Y. Sakai, N. Ogawa, T. Fujii and R.
Hasebe)
B)
A)
start point of
electrophoresis
kb
635
88
2
Marker I
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10
2,4-D degrading bacteria
Marker II
1
the
plasmids
having the
degrading
genes
plasmid
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10
2,4-D degrading bacteria
Fig. 2 Agarose gel electrophoresis of the plasmids with the RASC-type degrading gene fragments (A) and
Southern hybridization analysis of these plasmids using the probe for the 2,4-D-degrading gene (B). The
plasmids in Cupriavidus necator JMP134 (Marker I) and Agrobacterium rhizogenes MAFF301724 (Marker
II) were loaded as size markers and positive or negative controls for the Southern hybridization analysis.
The plasmid (88 kb) in strain JMP134 has the degrading gene and the other plasmids in JMP134 and
MAFF301724 do not have that.
5
Highlights in 2005
2. Detection of seeds of spontaneous hybrids
between different wild Brassica species
growing in a mixed weed community
Escaping genetically modified rape (Brassica napus)
and that grown from spilled seeds can hybridize with
wild species or non-genetically modified crops growing
in surrounding areas, thereby spreading the introduced
genes. We attempted to estimate the possibility of genetically modified rape transferring its genes into two
related wild species, a conventional field mustard in Japan (Brassica rapa) and a brown mustard introduced
into Japan from the West (Brassica juncea). In order to
assess the risk of gene flow from genetically modified
rape to wild relatives in future. By using flow cytometry
(FCM) to compare relative DNA contents as well as
RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers, we conducted field surveys and attempted to clarify
how hybridization was taking place among relative species (non-genetically modified individuals) of the genus
Brassica growing together in mixed communities of
weeds.
We used FCM to measure the relative DNA contents
in leaves taken from individuals of three different species
of the genus Brassica (B. rapa, B. napus, and B. juncea)
growing together in a mixed community of weeds. We
distinguished the three species from one another by their
external shapes. Each of the three species had a different
average relative DNA content, and none of the three
ranges of DNA content overlapped the other two. The
species distinctions made from the external shapes corresponded to those made from the relative DNA contents
(Table 1). We showed that to distinguish hybrid individuals it is possible to identify different cultivated species of the genus Brassica depending on the presence or
absence of multiple RAPD markers (Fig. 1). We reconfirmed this when we discovered that artificially crossbred hybrids carried the RAPD markers of both parents.
We conducted RAPD analysis of leaves collected form
three species of the genus Brassica living in a mixed
community of weeds to determine whether the species
identified by the RAPD technique matched those identified by external shape and FCM (Table 2). We also used
the RAPD technique and FCM to analyze seeds collected
from individuals growing in a mixed community of
weeds. For the first time in Japan, we found a spontaneous hybrid B. rapa whose pollen parent was B. napus
(one individual of the 230 individuals) and another B.
napus hybrid whose pollen parent was B. rapa (one individual of the 120 individuals). However, we did not detect any seeds that were hybrids between B. napus and B.
juncea (Table 3).
To clarify how genes will travel from B. napus in the
Table 1 Comparison of relative DNA contents1) of three species of the
genus Brassica identified from their external shapes
2)
Species
B. napus
B. rapa
B. juncea
1)
2)
N
Mean±S.D.
Range
3
5
8
1.71±0.03
0.73±0.02
1.57±0.03
1.69～1.74
0.70～0.74
1.53～1.63
Values relative to DNA content of cabbage (B. oleracea)
Species identified by external shapes
Fig. 1 RAPD analysis of cultivated species of the genus Brassica (B. rapa: conventional field mustard in Japan,
B. juncea: brown mustard, B. napus: rape introduced into Japan from the West, and B. oleracea: cabbage)
(primer employed was OPA-08). Arrowheads denote bands identified as RAPD markers. From top to bottom, markers common to Br, Bj, and Bn; markers detected in Bj alone; markers common to Bn and Bo.
Shown in Lane 1 are DNA size markers. Abbreviations of species are Br: B. rapa, Bj: B. juncea, Bn: B.
napus and Bo: B. oleracea.
6
Table 2 Identification of three species of the genus Brassica as determined by the RAPD technique,
FCM, and external shape
Site
Species identified by
of research
RAPD
2）
N 1)
Tsukuba
B. rapa
B. juncea
7
10
Abiko
B. rapa
B. juncea
B. napus
5
5
5
Bj　(5)
+
+
-
RAPD markers
Bj ・Bn (1) Bn (7)
+
+
+
+
Bn ・Br (4)
+
+
+
Species identified by
FCM and morphology
B. rapa
B. juncea
B. rapa
B. juncea
B. napus
1) No. of individuals examined, 2) RAPD markers for Br, Bj, and Bn; the number of markers in parenthesis. For abbreviations of species names see the legend to Figure 1.
Table 3 Identification of pollen parents of hybrid individuals arising from seeds of the three species of
the genus Brassica in a mixed community of weeds
B. rapa
300
82.3
230
No. of hybrid
individuals2)
1
B. juncea
200
85.5
125
0
B. napus
200
74.0
120
1
Pollen recipient1)
No. of seed Germination No. of individuals
sown
rate (%)
examined
Pollen donor3)
B. napus
B. rapa
1) Identified by FCM and morphology, 2) Identified by FCM, 3) Identified by RAPD technique
future, more ecological research is needed on how hybrid
individuals are distributed in the field and how communities of individuals renew themselves. Although spontaneous hybridization between B. napus and B. juncea
has been reported, FCM alone is insufficient to identify
1) individuals that are hybrids between these two species
and 2) the pollen parents of hybrids between B. rapa and
either of the other two species, whose relative DNA contents are very similar to each other. Determination of
pollen parents thus requires the analysis of multiple
RAPD markers. (K. Matsuo, T. Kobayashi, Y. Tabei, S.
Horimoto and K. Itoh)
3. Rural Landscape Information System (RuLIS)
for conservation of biodiversity in rural areas
Biodiversity of the global environment is now the
focus of public attention. The New National Biodiversity
Strategy of Japan (Ministry of Environment, 2002) has
categorized the crises facing biodiversity in Japan into
three types: those associated with increased human activity, those associated with decreased human activity, and
new problems such as alien species invasion and the use
of chemicals. Each of these three types of crisis is very
closely associated with agriculture, because many spe-
cies of wildlife in Japan depend on semi-natural ecosystems developed and maintained by agriculture and by
rural communities. To conserve Japan’s biodiversity we
need comprehensive approaches to understanding the
relationships between biodiversity and agriculture or
rural living. For this purpose, we have developed the
Rural Landscape Information System (RuLIS) at NIAES
to comprehensively survey and analyze biodiversity in
rural areas.
RuLIS focuses on the “landscape level” of biodiversity, because the rural landscape is a mosaic of many
types of ecosystems, such as agricultural fields, irrigation
canals, grasslands, and woodlands. RuLIS corresponds to
the Countryside Information System (Bunce et. al., 1996)
and Countryside Survey (Barr et. al., 1993) in the UK,
which include classifications of agro-ecosystems and
standardized monitoring surveys. RuLIS has a hierarchical and objective classification of the agro-ecosystems in
Japan (Fig. 1). Japanese land was divided nationally into
46 agricultural ecosystem classes on a 1-km grid by using national GIS data such as on climate, topography,
and vegetation. For example, in the Tone River basin, we
classified four classes of paddy-dominated landscapes:
paddies at the base of mountains (class 6-D); paddies on
7
Highlights in 2005
alluvial plains (class 6-F); Yatsu paddies (located in gentle valley bottoms surrounded by sloping woodlands;
class 6-G); and upland paddy fields on urban fringes
(class 6-H). In each of these four classes we selected
eight monitoring sites for the collection of ecosystem
data from gene to landscape level (Fig. 2). These data
included land cover and the plant species composition in
abandoned paddies, on paddy levees, and in forests and
grasslands around the paddies.
We can use RuLIS to analyze biodiversity changes,
to quantitatively evaluate ecosystems, and to develop
Common database of
national geography in
Japan
・topography, soil,
climate, vegetation
・each data collected
as 1km grid data
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
indicators of biodiversity. As a practical application of
RuLIS, we tried to evaluate the potential value of class
6-G landscape (Yatsu paddy) as habitat for butterfly species. Evaluation of habitat requires both field surveys
and national GIS data. Field surveys of the butterfly distribution around Yatsu paddies can show us the important
habitats on a detailed scale, but national GIS data show
only land use on a macroscale. We combined the field
survey results and national GIS data by using the land
cover data from RuLIS monitoring sites, and we used
national GIS data to develop a model to estimate the
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Class 5
Class 6
Class 7
Class 8
legend
6-D
6-F
6-G
6-H
Classification of agro-ecosystem
・agro-ecosystem in Japan classified
into 60 classes by 6 levels
・this map shows 3rd level of
classification
Classes of Tone River basin at 6th level
■ class 6-D: paddy at mountain base
■ class 6-F: paddy on alluvial plain
■ class 6-G: Yatsu paddy in undulating valleys
■ class 6-H: upland fields on urban fringe
Fig. 1 Classification of agro-ecosystems by the Rural Landscape Information System
Development of a general method for landscape
and ecosystem survey at monitoring sites
land cover, sample stand selection
Monitoring of agro-ecosystem
1. current land cover
2. land cover change
3. vegetation
legend
Monitoring Sites
4. red list species
5. species distribution
Monitoring sites in Tone River basin
8 sites selected in each class randomly – total 32 sites
current land cover
6. collection of existing data from past
___ecosystem vegetation surveys
Fig. 2 Monitoring agro-ecosystems with the Rural Landscape Information System
8
length of the interface between paddy field and woodland, which indicates the potential value of the habitat
for butterflies. Comparison with 1976 and 1997 estimates showed that the potential value of class 67 landscapes for butterfly species has been deteriorating for 21
years because of urbanization of woodlands and increases in the number of abandoned paddy fields (Fig. 3).
These results suggest that RuLIS is an effective method
for quantitatively evaluating ecosystems. (Y. Kusumoto,
M. Ide, T. Ohkuro and S. Yamamoto)
1976
1997
LEGEND
estimated edge length (m)
between paddy & wood
- 1630
- 2265
- 3265
Fig. 3 Evaluation of the potential value of Class 67
(Yatsu paddy landscape in the Tone River basin) as a butterfly habitat according to the estimated length of the interface between paddy
field and woodland
References
Barr, C.J., Bunce, R.G.H., Clarke, R.T., Fuller, R.M.,
Furse, M.T., Gillespie, M.K., Groom, G.B., Hallam, C.J.,
Hornung, M., Howard, D.C., and Ness, M.J.(1993)
Countryside Survey 1990: main report. (Countryside
1990 vol.2). Department of the Environment. London,
174pp.
Bunce, R.G.H., Barr,C.J., Clarke,R.T., Howard,D.C.
and Lane, A.M.J. (1996) Land classification for strategic
ecological survey. Journal of Environmental Management 47: 37–60.
Ministry of Environment (2002) The National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan. Ministry of the Environment,
Japan, 23pp.
4. Estimating N2O emission factors in rice paddy
fields
Agricultural soil is a major source of nitrous oxide
(N2O), a greenhouse gas that contributes to the destruction of stratospheric ozone. Early studies found N2O
emissions from paddy fields to be negligible, but recent
studies suggest that rice cultivation is an important anthropogenic source of not only atmospheric methane
(CH4) but also N2O.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) developed Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for
National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 1997) and
Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management
in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 2000)
for calculating national inventories of greenhouse gases
(IPCC, 1997, 2000). The 1997 and 2000 IPCC guidelines
use a default fertilizer-induced emission factor (EF) of
1.25% of net N input (based on the unvolatilized portion
of the applied N) and a background emission rate for
direct emission from agricultural soil of 1 kg N ha–1 y–1
(IPCC, 1997). The fertilizer-induced EF is defined as the
emission from fertilized plots minus that from a zero-N
control plot. In the guidelines, rice paddy fields were not
distinguished from upland fields. However, Bouwman et
al. (2002) reported on the basis of data published before
1999 that the mean rate of N2O emission from rice paddy
fields (0.7 kg N2O-N ha–1 y–1) was lower than that from
upland fields, including grasslands (1.1 to 2.9 kg N2O-N
ha–1 y–1). Yan et al. (2003) also reported, on the basis of
data published before 2000, that the EF for rice paddy
fields, at 0.25% of total N input, was lower than that for
upland fields; they gave a background emission rate of
1.22 kg N2O-N ha–1 y–1 for paddy fields. More measurements of N2O emission from rice fields have since been
performed, although the number of field measurements is
still relatively small compared with those of CH4 emissions from paddy fields or N2O emissions from upland
fields. The guidelines are due to be revised in 2006, and
a simple method for estimating N2O emission from rice
fields is urgently needed. Therefore, our aim was to assess the field measurements available to date to provide a
quantitative basis for estimating national and regional
N2O emission inventories.
We compiled measurement results of direct N2O
emission from rice fields published in peer-reviewed
9
2500
2000
1500
b
1000
500
a
0
CF
MSD
Water management
N 2O EF (%)
N2O (g　ha-1 season -1)
Highlights in 2005
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Mean =0.31
a
a
CF
MSD
Water management
Fig. 1 Mean N2O emissions from paddy fields under different water management. CF: continuous flooding; MSD: midseason drainage.
Fig. 2 Mean fertilizer-induced N2O emission factors from paddy fields under different water
management. CF: continuous flooding;
MSD: midseason drainage.
journals before summer 2004; the initial data set comprised 147 field measurements of N2O collected during
the rice-cropping or fallow season from 29 sites. Mean
N2O emission ± standard deviation and EF for continuously flooded fields receiving chemical or organic fertilizers during the rice-cropping season were 341 ± 474 g N
ha–1 season–1 and 0.22% ± 0.24%, respectively (Figs. 1
and 2). Mean N2O emission and EF for fields with midseason drainage and chemical or organic fertilizer application were 993 ± 1075 g N ha–1 season–1 and 0.37% ±
0.35%, respectively. Mean N2O emission and EF for all
water regimes were 667 ± 885 g N ha–1 season–1 and
0.31% ± 0.31%, respectively. Mean N2O emission from
continuously flooded fields was significantly lower than
that from fields with midseason drainage, although N2O
emissions within each water regime showed large variation. However, no significant difference in EF between
the continuous flooding and midseason drainage water
regimes was observed.
On the basis of our analysis, we proposed an EF
value of 0.31% ± 0.31% and it was accepted as the new
default EF for paddy fields in the revised IPCC guidelines. (H. Akiyama, K. Yagi and X. Yan)
2). International Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
IPCC (2000) Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. International Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Yan, X., H. Akimoto and T. Ohara (2003) Estimation
of nitrous oxide, nitric oxide and ammonia emissions
from croplands in East, Southeast and South Asia. Global
Change Biology, 9: 1–17.
References
Akiyama, H., K. Yagi and X. Yan (2005) Direct N2O
emissions from rice paddy fields: Summary of available
data. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 19 (1): GB1005
Bouwman, A. F., L. J. M. Boumans and N. H. Batjes
(2002) Emissions of N2O and NO from fertilized fields:
summary of available measurement data. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 16(4): 1058.
IPCC (1997) Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Workbook (Volume
10
5. Web database of the “Mitsuhashi Note”, a
bibliography of Japanese insects
The “Mitsuhashi Note”, a bibliography of Japanese
insects, was compiled by the late Mr. Shinji Mitsuhashi
(1878–1952), who was an honorary member of the Entomological Society of Japan. He scoured the Japanese
literature on entomology and noted down all of the insect
names referred to in the literature. Mr. Mitsuhashi listed
the insect names by classification order, along with their
bibliographic information (author and subject; and book
title, volume, page number, and publication year) (Fig. 1).
The list finally amounted to 474 volumes totaling over
50,000 pages. The “Mitsuhashi Note” has been a useful
information source on Japanese insects for many professional and amateur entomologists. After Mr. Mitsuhashi’s
death, the note was donated to the National Institute of
Agricultural Sciences (now NIAES).
The information written in the note dates mainly
from about 1890 to 1952. Although old, the note is very
important even today because it contains much knowledge unavailable in present-day scientific databases.
Such old information on the ecology, distribution, and
taxonomy of Japanese insects is still useful in many
studies, for example, studies of the historical transition of
the environment and biodiversity. We therefore considered it worthwhile to display the note on the Web, and in
2002 we started preparing photo images and keywords of
every page in the volumes on dragonflies.
Now, approximately 20,000 pages are available at
www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/inventry/insect/inssys/m_note01.h
tml (Fig. 2). Bibliographic information on dragonflies
(300 species), butterflies (650 species), and moths (5300
species) is included. Pages you want to read can be
found by using the scientific name (e.g. genus name,
specific name) or the Japanese common name as a keyword. The remaining part of the note (beetles, stink-bugs,
aphids, wasps, flies, etc.) will be added to the database in
the near future.
We hope that the web database of the “Mitsuhashi
Note” will be helpful for environmental, biodiversity,
and taxonomical research in Japan. (K. Yasuda, S. Yoshimatsu, Y. Nakatani and Y. Ueda)
Fig. 2 Home page of the web database “Mitsuhashi
Note”
Fig. 1 A page of the “Mitsuhashi Note”
11
Highlights in 2005
Major Symposia and Seminars
1. Agriculture and Food Security in Monsoon
Asia
A symposium titled agriculture and food security in
monsoon Asia was held on November 3, 2005, at Tokyo
University’s Yayoi Hall by the National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences with the support of the
International Society of Paddy and Water Environment
Engineering (PAWEES) and the Association of Japanese
Agricultural Scientific Societies; the planning cooperation of Worldwatch Japan; and the cosponsorship of the
Agricultural Bioinformatics Research Unit in the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo, the Foundation of Agricultural Sciences of Japan, Japan Ecology Foundation, and the Institute for Environmental Culture. Lester Brown, director
of the Earth Policy Institute, was invited to give the
keynote address. The symposium’s purpose was, in the
context of the threats involving food security to the
world, to shed light on the problems and future of agriculture in monsoon Asia and to discuss the role of Japanese agricultural science and technology, future challenges, and other topics to help work toward sustainability.
Brown kicked off his keynote address by noting that
many ancient civilizations perished because of food insecurity, and warned that food security is now the biggest
concern facing all countries. Factors that affect food
production include desertification, water, soil erosion,
deforestation, fisheries stocks, heat waves, and hurricanes. Regarding water, global warming has reduced
snowfall in mountainous regions and replaced it with
heavy rain, which causes flooding. A human being consumes 4 L of water daily for drinking, but uses 2,000 L
for food. That is to say, producing 1 t of food requires
5,000 t of water, so that securing water is of the greatest
importance to food production. Water tables are falling in
the three major grain-producing countries of China, India,
and the US, and there could be dark days ahead for agriculture that depends on ground irrigation. Brown also
described food security-related problems around the
world.
Brown said that solutions will necessitate reorganization of the global economy, especially the energy economy. China is the key to future trends, for if it continues
its current annual growth rate of 8%, it will overtake the
US in 2031. If China becomes a consumer like the US, it
will consume two-thirds of the world’s grain, use twice
as much paper as now, and have 1.1 billion motor vehicles. The upshot will be an increase in its water con-
12
sumption from the present 8 million tons to 99 million
tons. Because the world’s resources are limited, China
cannot become a heavy consumer like the US. Brown
stressed that it is essential that China realize a renewable
society that reuses and recycles.
He continued by saying that it is possible to reduce
fossil energy consumption by one-half. By using
late-night excess electricity to charge the Prius hybrid car,
even more energy can be conserved. Technological development will make wind power even more efficient,
and in the US states of Kansas and Texas, it is possible to
generate half the needed electricity with wind.
Brown concluded his talk by saying that we lack the
leadership that will create and enact new policies. Without such leadership, he said, starvation threatens the
world.
The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion with five members: Masashi Uwasawa (NIAES),
Hiroyuki Kawashima (Agricultural Bioinformatics Research Unit, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life
Sciences, University of Tokyo), Junko Shindo (NIAES),
Keisuke Nemoto (Asian Natural Environmental Science
Center at the University of Tokyo), and Tsugihiro Watanabe (National Institutes for the Humanities, Research
Institute for Humanity and Nature). They described the
current environmental situation in Asia, including rice
production and water resources, and offered forecasts
while conducting a wide-ranging and lively discussion
on problems related to food production and the environment in Asia. The many remarks from the floor exceeded
the time allotted and ranged from questions and opinions
related to the keynote address and symposium theme to
personal questions for Lester Brown. After the symposium, Brown held a autograph session in the lobby where
his books were on sale, with a long line of people waiting.
The 321 participants included people from research
institutions, universities, government, the private sector,
and others, who had come from prefectures near and far.
We thank everyone for participating. (K. Miyashita)
2. International Workshop on Monsoon Asia
Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(MAGE Workshop)
Agriculture contributes significantly to global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). As
has been described in IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change) assessment reports, emissions of these
GHGs from agricultural sources can be reduced markedly through the use of improved technologies in
agronomy, animal nutrition, and animal waste manage-
ment. As the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol approaches, there is an urgent need to summarize
and revise national GHG inventories in each country to
include possible mitigation options. It is especially important to develop technologies for mitigating agricultural GHG emissions in the countries of monsoon Asia,
because the contributions of the agricultural sector to
national GHG emissions are relatively large in these
countries.
An International Workshop on Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions was held from 7 to 9
March 2006 at the Tsukuba International Congress Center (Epochal Tsukuba). Its aim was to bridge the gaps in
knowledge of GHG emissions from agricultural sources
in monsoon Asia. The Workshop also discussed future
research needs and possible forms of cooperation, in
order to develop an international research network for
regional studies on agricultural GHG emissions.
The Workshop began with opening and welcome addresses by Dr. Sato (President of NIAES) and Prof. Kimura (President of the Japanese Society of Soil Science
and Plant Nutrition) and Prof. Kanai (Ex-president of the
Japanese Society of Animal Science). This was followed
by keynote lectures from four international leaders and
experts. Professor Changsheng Li of New Hampshire
University overviewed GHG emissions from agro - ecosystems in monsoon Asia, focusing on their drivers and
the mitigation deduced from simulations by the DNDC
(denitrification-decomposition) model. Dr. Chris S.
McSweeney of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization summarized mitigation options for GHG emissions from ruminant production in monsoon Asian countries and globally. Dr.
Xiaodong Yan of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced a new regional
research project, MAIRS (Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study), which will study responses and contributions to global change in monsoon Asia. Dr. Leandro
Buendia of the Technical Support Unit, IPCC National
Greenhouse Gas Inventories Program, outlined the IPCC
National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Program and its
Inventory Guidelines for agriculture.
After that, 19 oral presentations were given and 27
posters presented over one and a half days at sessions on
monitoring, database, modeling, and mitigation options
for GHG emissions in croplands and livestock production. At the end of the second day, a discussion session
was organized to exchange ideas and suggestions, mainly
about the connection between monitoring and modeling
and possible forms of cooperation. These discussions
have pointed out problems with the scaling-up of monitoring data into regional estimates and have listed future
research needs. Finally, a new regional project, Monsoon
Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emission Studies
(MAGES), was proposed as an activity to develop the
research network seeded by this Workshop.
The 2 days of scientific sessions were closed by an
address from Dr. Shibata (Director General of the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science). On
the third day, the participants joined an excursion to visit
research institutes and observe the agricultural landscapes of Tsukuba. (K. Yagi)
3. Third International Workshop of the Japan–Korea Research Cooperation: Nitrogen
Load in Agro-ecosystems and its Outflow to
Water Bodies: Analyses with Monitoring and
Modeling
Since FY 2003 NIAES has been running a research
project on “Water Quality Conservation in Agro - Eco-
13
Highlights in 2005
systems and Assessment of Risk to the Environment”.
The project is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (NIAST), Korea. On 15 March
2006, the Third International Workshop of the Japan-Korea Research Cooperation, relevant to the
above-mentioned project, was held at the Tsukuba International Conference Center. Its aim was to address the
issue of nitrogen load in agro-ecosystems and its outflow
to water bodies as part of a scenario for improving the
water quality of rivers and lakes. On that day, there were
a total of 112 participants: 11 from abroad, 22 from municipal governments, 23 from universities, 20 from independent agencies, and 33 from NIAES. We invited a
total of nine researchers: one each from the United States,
Australia, Britain, and China, and five from Korea.
Nine speakers gave presentations on the following
topics: 1) Keynote lecture: Nitrogen biogeochemistry in
agricultural watersheds of the Midwestern United States
(M. B. David, University of Illinois); 2) Keynote lecture:
Environmental impacts of nitrogen load from agriculture
and food consumption in East Asia (R. Hatano, Hokkaido University); 3) Ammonia volatilization from rice
fields and its environmental impact (Z. Cai, Chinese
Academy of Sciences); 4) Impact of rice cultivation on
the water environment in Korea in relation to nitrogen
flow (K-A. Roh, NIAST); 5) Scaling-up from point to
watershed: simulating nitrogen loads using the
LEACHEM and GWLF models (J. L. Hutson, Flinders
University); 6) Water flow and nitrate transport through
the vadose zone and shallow aquifers below agricultural
croplands (S. Eguchi, NIAES); 7) A study of the water
and nitrogen cycle mechanism on a basin scale: the case
of Kimotsuki River Basin, Kagoshia Prefecture, Japan (T.
Kubota, National Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering); 8) Estimation of runoff of non-point-source
pollutants in a small rural watershed by using a
non-point-source pollutant model (J-H. Kim, NIAST);
and 9) Nitrates Directive implementation: a case study of
England and Wales (P. S. Davison, ADAS Research).
Nineteen experts from both home and abroad were
invited by NIAES to give presentations in the poster sessions held in the intervals between the oral presentations.
In front of the posters that showed the analyses, with
monitoring and modeling in various areas of Japan and
Korea, the presenters and participants held active discussions.
At the opening of the general discussion, Dr. Masanori Saito, the chairman of this workshop, explained the
present status of groundwater contamination in Japan,
the analysis of nitrogen outflow on a watershed scale,
and the direction of a “System for the Conservation of
14
Lake Environments”. At the end of the discussion, Prof.
David encouraged young researchers to study denitrification, because it is less well understood than nitrogen
outflow.
The general discussion focused on the following
points:
1) Scale and time lag in relation to nitrogen outflow
According to Prof. David, there was a time lag of
several years during the period in which surplus nitrogen
in the grain belt of the Midwestern United States flowed
into the Mississippi. On the other hand, surplus nitrogen
in the agricultural area of Hokkaido flowed into the sea
for only a short period of time. Although we do not know
why such a difference would arise, it is thought that there
is a big difference in climate and soil conditions between
the two areas.
2) What has happened in the field?
According to Prof. Cai, food self-sufficiency is considered to be the top priority in China. Application of
nitrogen fertilizer to paddy fields has reached a level
several times higher than that in Japan, and the nitrogen
load from such processes as ammonia volatilization is a
problem. According to Dr. Roh, the amount of nitrogen
fertilizer used in Korea has decreased gradually as a result of heavy demand for “delicious rice”; furthermore,
the water-purification function of paddy fields is attracting attention in that country. On the other hand, in our
country manures and composts made from livestock excreta are being applied in large quantities to vegetable
fields, making nitrate pollution of groundwater a serious
problem.
3) Scaling-up associated with modeling
Prof. Hutson is able to scale-up by combining two
models: a field-scale model of nitrogen outflow and a
watershed-scale model of the water cycle. By using this
method and assuming that rainfall will decrease with
global climate change, he can predict changes in the water quality of a river. In light of the climate change scenario, prediction of the volume and quality of water will
become a necessity in our country.
4) Modeling for policy
The main components of European Union (EU) legislation concerning water quality in water bodies are the
Nitrates Directive and the Water Framework Directive.
At present, EU member countries are required to implement policy in accordance with the Nitrates Directive; if
they do not comply with the legislation they pay large
penalties. In Britain, to support their two big policies—the identification of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and
the development of Action Programs to mitigate nutrient
pollution—the analysis of nitrogen loss by monitoring
and modeling is an important research task. (K. Sugahara)
60%
40%
20%
Yeoncheon
Cholwon
Aesan
Kimjae
0%
Fig. 1 Profiles of contribution of OCPs (organochlorine pesticides) in the agricultural areas of
Korea
100%
80%
60%
Co-PCBs
PCDFs
PCDDs
40%
20%
Yeoncheon
Cholwon
Aesan
0%
Kimjae
Polychlorinated POPs (persistent organic pollutants),
including the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated
dibenzodioxins and furans (PCDDs/PCDFs), are toxic
chemicals that remain permanently in the environment
and accumulate in the food chain. They can spread over
long distances and harm human health and the environment. However, in today’s agricultural environment there
is very little information about the effect of POPs.
This cooperative research project between NIAES
and the National Institute of Agricultural Science and
Technology (NIAST) of the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea will operate for 3 years (2004 to 2007) under a Memorandum of
Understanding.
Nationwide monitoring data obtained in 2005 from
the agricultural soils of Korea indicate that the patterns
of OCP contamination vary among agricultural areas
(Fig. 1). OCP levels are higher in or near industrial and
urban areas than in rural areas. More importantly, chlordane and mirex have not been used as pesticides in Korea, but they were detected in all the samples. These facts
indicate that there has been indirect exposure to chlordane and mirex through atmospheric circulation.
Levels of dioxins (PCDDs/PCDFs and co-PCBs) in
the agricultural soils of Korea are lower than in Japan.
The major sources of dioxins in the agricultural soils of
Japan are impurities in chlorinated herbicides such as
PCP and CNP. Although in general the sources of dioxins
in Korea are known mainly unwanted by-products of
industrial processes and waste combustion in incinerators,
the agricultural soils of Korea are more influenced by
impurities in chlorinated herbicides than by atmospheric
deposition from industrial processes and waste combustion (Fig. 2).
This cooperative research project will provide valuable information that will help us understand and assess
the behavior of POPs in East Asia. (H. Eun)
Mirex
Endrin
Dieldrin
Aldrin
p,p'-DDT
o,p'-DDT
p,p'-DDD
o,p'-DDD
p,p'-DDE
o,p'-DDE
Oxychlordane
cis-Nonachlor
trans-Nonachlor
cis-Chlordane
trans-Chlordane
Heptachlor Epoxide
Heptachlor
δ-HCH
γ-HCH
β-HCH
α-HCH
HCB
80%
Pyungtaek
POP Exposure and Risk Assessment: a Cooperative Research Project between NIAES and
NIAST in Korea
100%
Pyungtaek
International and Domestic
Research Collaboration
Fig. 2 Profiles of contribution of dioxins in the agricultural areas of Korea
15
Highlights in 2005
Advisory Council 2005
The Advisory Council 2005 met on 27 April 2005 at
NIAES to provide outside opinions and recommendations on the management of NIAES. The members of the
council are external experts and include a professor, a
consumer representative, and the directors of other national institutions (see Appendix).
Members were informed of the general activities of
NIAES in 2004 and were given a presentation of the
main research results for 2001–2004.
The opinions expressed by the members were as follows:
1) In planning the research targets of the second period
(FY 2006–2010), NIAES will need to think about
food self-sufficiency and food security in the long
term (e.g., 10 to 20 years), rather than the short term.
2) Basic research that is not strategically directed will
become low level, although it is often difficult to develop strategies during such basic research. Also, it is
very hard to restart basic research once it has been
suspended. We need to analyze the results and problems encountered thus far and then to develop strategies for basic research that will contribute to our applied research in the second period.
3) It is very important to grasp public research needs. On
both an institutional and an individual level, NIAES
needs to make every effort to grasp these needs.
4) The relationships between research targets and themes
have not been clearly presented. NIAES need to
clearly report the whole picture if we are to evaluate it
successfully.
5) On the evaluation form there were many scientific
terms that were difficult for outsiders to understand.
Research topics need to be explained in plain lan-
16
guage.
6) The development of the Asian-Pacific Alien Species
Database is pioneering research, but we need to think
about environmental issues not only for Japan but
also for Asia and the world.
7) NIAES is expected to continue to accept visiting researchers from prefectural research stations and to
promote basic research through its exchange program.
8) It is important to promote relationships among environmental research institutes.
9) It is useful that the greenhouse gas model developed
by NIAES considers rice paddy fields, which are not
included in Western models.
10) Continuous monitoring is very important because
those data can be used as background data for risk
management in the future. Many data collected from
agricultural fields can be captured only at particular
moments in time, and cannot be captured afterwards.
11) Research on the environmental effects of genetically
modified crops is an important theme of public interest. I would like NIAES to continue providing
data on this theme and issuing guidelines.
12) The effect of organic matter application on nitrate
concentrations in groundwater and river basins, and
the dynamics of chemicals such as dioxin, are important research themes for the agricultural environment.
13) The development by NIAES of a chemical-wash
method that uses ferric chloride to remediate cadmium-contaminated soil is good news. This method
has the potential to replace the soil-dressing method
currently used.
Academic Prizes and Awards
1. Young Scientist Award Commended by the
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology
Chemical studies on restoration of contaminated
soil in the agro-environmental field
This award is aimed at researchers aged less than 40 who
have achieved outstanding research results and have shown
advanced research and development abilities in their own
studies. In FY 2005, Dr. Makino
was one of 63 people from all
scientific fields who received
Young Scientist Awards. The commendation ceremony
was held on 20 April, and the awards were presented by
Mr. Nariaki Nakayama, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Dr. Makino conducted research from a chemical
point of view on the behavior of heavy metals and dioxins in soils. He developed a new remediation technique,
which involves removing cadmium from contaminated
paddy soil by washing with ferric chloride. He also
demonstrated the use of flocculation aids to prevent dioxin outflow from paddy fields. These techniques were
the first of their type in the world to be attempted, and
their originality was highly praised. The achievements of
this research are expected to make valuable contributions
to the establishment of a safe and secure environment for
agricultural production and to the assurance of food
safety for the public.
2. The First Young Agriculture, Forestry, and
Fisheries Researcher Award
Studies on techniques for the restoration of cadmium-contaminated paddy fields by soil washing
This award was newly established in FY 2005, and
the achievements of three young researchers, including
Dr. Makino, were recognized. The subject of the research
for which Dr. Makino received his award was almost the
same as the soil washing technique mentioned above,
and he succeeded in lowering cadmium concentrations in
brown rice by applying his technique to an actual paddy
field. This field verification of his research findings was
highly praised.
3. Prize of the Japan Society for Atmospheric
Environment
Studies on plant responses to atmospheric environmental change
Dr. Isamu Nouchi,
Head of the Agro - Meteorology Group, won the
2005 Award of the Japan
Society for Atmospheric
Environment. Global environmental problems such
as global warming, acid
rain, and stratospheric
ozone depletion came to our attention in the late 1980s in
Japan. Dr. Nouchi attempted to elucidate 1) the effect of
acid rain on the growth and yield of crops; 2) the effect
of increased ultraviolet-B radiation due to the depletion
of stratospheric ozone on the growth and yield of crops;
3) the mechanism of methane emission from rice paddies
to the atmosphere through rice plants; and 4) dimethyl
sulfide (DMS: CH3SCH3) emissions from rice paddies.
He found that: 1) in simulated acid rain experiments,
acid rain at pH 3.0 or higher had no influence on biomass
and crop yield; 2) future ozone depletion of up to 7%
(with a projected UV-B increase of 15%), which is estimated to be the peak ozone depletion for summer – autumn in the northern mid-latitudes, will have only a minute impact (less than about 2%) on rice yield (Dr. Nouchi
enhanced the UV-B irradiation of rice plants in a field
paddy for 3 years by using a modulated lamp-control
system, which automatically controlled the lamps’ UV-B
irradiance in proportion to the incident solar UV-B irradiance); 3) methane dissolved in soil water surrounding plant roots diffuses into the cell-wall water of the
root cells, gasifies in the root cortex, diffuses into the
arenchyma of the roots and stems, and is then released
mostly through micropores in the leaf sheaths and cracks
in the node; and 4) DMS emitted from rice paddies is
produced by metabolic processes in rice plants. In addition, Dr. Nouchi succeeded in simulating diurnal and
seasonal methane flux changes by varying three factors:
the methane concentration in soil water; the number of
rice plant shoots; and the soil or air temperature. This
result is valuable to our basic knowledge of the technology of reduction of methane emissions from rice paddies.
Dr. Nouchi thus developed a new field of atmospheric
environmental botany for studying the relationship between the atmospheric environment and agricultural
ecosystems.
4. Award of the 2005 Hirata Prize
The 2005 Hirata Prize of the Japanese Society of
Snow and Ice was awarded to Dr. Satoshi Inoue. The
Hirata Prize is named in memory of Dr. Tokutaro Hirata,
who was the first President of the Society, and it is
awarded for the encouragement of outstanding young
17
Highlights in 2005
snow scientists. Dr.
Inoue’s study is outlined as follows:
1. The first reasonable prediction of
snow in Japan under global warming.
The first original
achievement of the study was to separate snowfall water
equivalent from monthly total precipitation by using an
empirical model of monthly average surface air temperature. The second was to consider the ratio of snow
catch by precipitation gauges. The third was to estimate
the maximum snow depth by using snow cover conditions (wet/medium/dry) in accordance with monthly average surface air temperature.
The prediction showed that, under a global warming
scenario, although the maximum snow depth would decrease, the snow conditions in Hokkaido and in the
mountains of Honshu would change little. In the Tohoku
district (except in the mountains), the snowfall depth and
maximum snow depth would decrease. Snow cover conditions would become wet instead of dry at low elevations on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu south of the
Hokuriku district. Here, no snow would fall and no snow
pack of any consequence would be present by the
mid-21st century.
2. Influence of decrease in snowfall with global warming in Japan
Changes in the characteristics of river flow with
global warming were calculated and revealed that the
spring flow peak would be lost in the rivers on the Sea of
Japan side of mainland Honshu, and that the spring flow
peak would occur earlier in Hokkaido. Moreover, the
position of the vegetation zone would change, and the
starting day of cedar pollen release would be advanced
by snowfall reduction and temperature rise.
3. Awareness of the decrease in snowfall under global
warming
Dr. Inoue’s work described above was quoted by
publications such as Asahi newspaper and National
Geographic magazine. Moreover, his research papers
were requested and used by a ski-consulting company
and a tire maker.
5. 50th Award of the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology
Development of statistical methods for estimating population parameters of insects
The 50th JSAEZ prize was awarded to Dr. Kohji
18
Yamamura on 27 March
2006 by the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology for his
contribution to the development of statistical methods for estimating the
population parameters of
insects. Dr. Yamamura
proposed statistical techniques that included 1)
mark–recapture methods for estimating the abundance of
insect populations; 2) a modified Kiritani - Nakasuji Manly method for estimating the mortality of insects in
the field; 3) a key-factor/key-stage method for identifying the principal factors determining the abundance of
insect populations; and 4) an extended Brownian motion
model for predicting the dispersal distance of insect
populations.
Recent advances in computing have enabled us to estimate population parameters by using complex calculations. However, the amount of field data is not always
sufficient for such complex calculations. In contrast to
CPU power, which is increasing, the amount of time we
can use to collect field data is decreasing. Hence, labor-saving techniques are required for field workers to
maximize the precision of their estimates under limited
amounts of labor. Most methods proposed by Dr. Yamamura were thus intended to reduce labor rather than to
enhance the precision of estimates.
Several methods proposed by Dr. Yamamura are applicable to a wide range of problems outside entomology.
Much attention has recently been paid to the pollen diffusion of genetically modified crops. Long-distance diffusion of pollen cannot be predicted by conventional
advection–diffusion models, which were developed by
physicists. The extended Brownian motion model of Dr.
Yamamura has enabled us to predict the long-distance
diffusion of particles in the field with sufficient precision.
The contribution of Dr. Yamamura to the enhancement of statistical skill among Japanese entomologists
was also valued highly by the award. Unlike other journals published in Japan, Applied Entomology and Zoology, the journal of the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology, contains few fatal errors in statistical tests. Dr. Yamamura wrote several review articles
to explain the statistical misuses that are sometimes seen
in multiple comparison procedures. Some of these reviews were introduced to the editorial board of Applied
Entomology and Zoology, thus potentially reducing the
misuse of statistical tests.
New Research Departments and Centers
National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
Phase II Organization Chart
President
Vice-President
Auditors
Principal Research Director
Research Planning Office
Research Coordinati on Office
Public Rel ations and i nfor mation Office
Experi mental Farm Management Di vision
Coordi nator for Research Infor mation Syste ms
Principal Administative Director
Administrati ve Services Office
Accounti ng Office
Audi t Office
Principal Research Coordinators
Research Projects (RP) are carried out to
achieve our research targets.
Organic Chemicals Risk Assessment RP
Heavy Metals Risk Management RP
Invasive Alien Species Impact Assessment RP
Genetically Modified Organisms Impact Assessment RP
Paddy Fields Biodiversity RP
Upland Soils Biodiversity RP
Semiochemicals Ecological Functions RP
Crop Production Changes RP
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation RP
Regional C and N Budget RP
Nutrients Risk Assessment RP
Global Warming Monitoring RP
Agricultural Spatial Information RP
Agro-Environmental Risk Indicators RP
Environmental Resources Information RP
Research
ResearchDivisions
Divisions
● Agro-Meteorology Division
● Carbon and Nutrient Cycles Division
● Soil Environment Division
● Organochemicals Division
● Biodiversity Division
● Environmental Biofunction Division
● Ecosystem Informatics Division
● Natural Resources Inventory Center
19
New Research Departments and Centers
An Introduction to the New Organization
The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) has come to an important juncture this
year because five years have passed since it changed
from a national research institute to an independent administrative institution in April 2001. Under the law,
independent administrative institutions are required to
develop medium-term plans to achieve the medium-term
targets assigned to them and to review those plans every
five years. In 2006 NIAES’s first medium-term target
period (phase I) ends, and we begin phase II research to
achieve our new five-year medium-term plan. For that
purpose NIAES decided to review its research organization of the first five years in order to pursue its mission
in a prioritized and efficient manner.
The hierarchically structured research organization of
departments, groups, and units that was used prior to
phase I has a long history not only here but also at many
research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In the days when research was conducted on the individual and unit level, this multi- hierarchy research organization or small research subdivisions, such as the unit, functioned effectively. But with
the great changes in the circumstances surrounding science and technology at present, as well as the increasing
trend toward the fusion and strategic orientation of research, and in conjunction with the collaboration of researchers in many fields and the increase in research
activities such as project research with clearly defined
objectives, the down side of “compartmentalized organizations” and “inter-unit barriers” has become pronounced and hampered the building of research systems
which transcend disciplines.
Last year NIAES launched the “Research System
Discussion Committee” to consider the phase II system
for conducting research. After thoroughgoing discussions
on the phase II organization, the committee decided that
phase II would conduct research under the organization
as diagrammed in the figure. The basic subdivisions of
20
the research organization were enlarged into research
divisions and a center that bring together researchers in
the same area of specialization, thereby resulting in a
non-hierarchical organizational structure. Independent of
the research organization, we also established a “research
project” (RP) for each research task for the purpose of
carrying out the research tasks under the phase II medium-term plan. For each RP we bring together the personnel needed for accomplishing the task from the multiple research divisions and the center, and those personnel then partner on the research to achieve their common
goal. The research divisions and the center are to support
RP activities as they carry out cutting-edge seed research
that anticipates future developments and work toward
nurturing the capabilities that a group of experts should
have. In other words, in phase II NIAES will operate as a
matrix whose rows are the research organization of research divisions and the center, and whose columns are
the RPs, or groups of researchers with common purposes.
NIAES also created the positions of principal research
director and principal research coordinator to coordinate
each research area and to take charge of tasks including
strategy development, efficiency improvement, international relations, running RPs, and public communication,
while the institute is operated flexibly under the leadership of the president. In phase I research, support involved a number of assistant managers dividing up minutely categorized duties under a group system, while
the new system makes it possible to speed up the performance of administrative duties and to even out such
duties between busy and inactive periods by flexibly
performing these tasks with the cooperation of the entire
group under the group leader. We have also created an
Audit office to enhance the internal auditing system including accounting auditing and operational auditing,
and to provide for the institute’s overall legal compliance.
Research Overview
and Topics i n 2005
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Research Organization
Director
Director General
General
Auditor
Auditor
Executive
Executive Director
Director
Department
Department of
of Global
Global Resources
Resources
Agro-Meteorology
Agro-Meteorology Group
Group
Climate
Climate Resources
Resources Unit
Unit
Atmospheric
Atmospheric Impacts
Impacts Unit
Unit
Air
Air Quality
Quality Conservation
Conservation Unit
Unit
Ecosystems
Ecosystems Group
Group
Department
Department of
of Research
Research Planning
Planning
and
and Coordination
Coordination
Division
Division of
of Research
Research Planning
Planning
Division
of
Research
Division of Research Coordination
Coordination
Division
Division of
of Research
Research Information
Information Systems
Systems
Division
Division of
of Documentation
Documentation and
and Information
Information
Division
Division of
of Experimental
Experimental Farm
Farm Management
Management
Agro-Ecological
Agro-Ecological Sensing
Sensing Unit
Unit
Statistics
Statistics Unit
Unit
Material
Material Ecocycling
Ecocycling Unit
Unit
Ecologic
al Management
Ecological
Management Unit
Unit
Remote
Remote Sensing
Sensing Unit
Unit
Greenhouse
Greenhouse Gas
Gas Emission
Emission Team
T eam
Food
Food Production
Production Prediction
Prediction Team
Team
Ecosystem
Ecosystem Gas
Gas Exchange
Exchange Team
Team
Department
Department of
of Biological
Biological Safety
Safety
Plant
Plant Ecology
Ecology Group
Group
Vegetation
Vegetation Ecology
Ecology Unit
Unit
Landscape
Landscape Ecology
Ecology Unit
Unit
Chemical
Chemical Ecology
Ecology Unit
Unit
Entomology
Entomology Group
Group
Administration
Administration Department
Department
General
General Affairs
Affairs Section
Section
Accounts
Accounts Section
Section
Introduced
Introduced Insect
Insect Assessment
Assessm ent Unit
Unit
Population
Population Ecology
Ecology Unit
Unit
Insect
Insect Semiochemicals
Semiochemicals Unit
Unit
Microbiology
Microbiology Group
Group
Microbiology
dinator
Microbiology Research
Research Coor
Coordinator
Microbial
Microbial Ecology
Ecology Unit
Unit
Microbial
Microbial Genetics
Genetics and
and Physiology
Physiology Unit
Unit
Nematology
Nematology and
and Soil
Soil Zoology
Zoology Unit
Unit
GMO
GMO Assessment
Assessment Team
Team
Department
Department of
of Environmental
Environmental Chemistry
Chemistry
Organochemicals
Organochemicals Group
Group
Environmental
Environmental PPesticide
esticide Assessment
Assessment Unit
Unit
Pesticide
Pesticide Mitigation
Mitigation Unit
Unit
Applied
Applied Soil
Soil Microbiology
Microbiology Unit
Unit
Heavy
Heavy Metal
Metal Group
Group
Heavy
Heavy Metal
Metal Behavior
Behavior Unit
Unit
Soil
Soil Chemistry
Chem istry Unit
Unit
Soil
Soil Biochemistry
Biochemistry Unit
Unit
Water
Water Quality
Quality and
and Solute
Solute Dynamics
Dynamics Group
Group
Soil
Soil Physics
Physics Unit
Unit
Nutrient
Nutrient Dynamics
Dynamics Unit
Unit
Contaminant
Contaminant Hydrology
Hydrology Unit
Unit
Water
Water Quality
Quality Conservation
Conservation Unit
Unit
Dioxin
Dioxin Dynamics
Dynamics Team
Team
Natural
Natural Resources
Resources Inventory
Inventory Center
Center
Soil
Soil Classification
Classification Laboratory
Laboratory
Insect
Insect Systematics
Systematics Laboratory
Laboratory
Microbial
s Laboratory
Microbial Systematic
Systematics
Laboratory
Chemical
Chemical Analysis
Analysis Research
Research Center
Center
Environmental
atory
Environmental Chemicals
Chemic als Analysis
Analysis Labor
Laboratory
Radioisotope
Radioisotope Analysis
Analysis Laboratory
Labor atory
21
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Department of Global Resources
The mission of the Department of Global Resources
is expressed by two broad global environmental research
goals: to assess the agro-ecological impacts of unusual
climatic variations and global warming and to develop
adaptive technical and policy measures to reduce any
adverse impacts by clarifying climate-change mechanisms and by monitoring and modeling. These missions
are the concern of two research groups - the Agro - Meteorology Group and the Ecosystems Group - and three
teams - the Greenhouse Gas Emission Team, the Food
Production Prediction Team, and the Ecosystem Gas
Exchange Team.
Research projects are initiated in domains such as 1)
prediction of food production under global environmental variability; 2) elucidation of the impacts of global
climate change on agro-ecosystems; 3) estimation of
greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities and
development of measures that can be used to minimize
emissions; 4) determination of the effects of human activity, especially the flow of carbon and nitrogen; 5) development of techniques for remote sensing and multivariate statistical analysis; and 6) assessment of changes
in rural land use.
Some of our research projects are involving in the
Global Warming Research Initiative and Water Resources Research Initiative, which are managed under
the Council for Science and Technology Policy. The goal
of our projects is to formulate an adaptable scenario of
greenhouse gas emissions that will help stabilize climate
change within a range that is compatible with human
civilization.
1) Agro-Meteorology Group
The mission of the Agro-Meteorology Group is to
clarify predictions of the impacts of climate change and
elevated atmospheric CO2 levels, and of the resulting
atmospheric ecosystem changes, on agricultural ecosystems. The Agro-Meteorology Group consists of three
units: 1) Climate Resources Unit; 2) Atmospheric Impacts Unit; and 3) Air Quality Conservation Unit.
The research aim of the Climate Resources Unit is
to develop monitoring techniques for evaluating the effects of climate change and elevated CO2 on agricultural
water resources, and to develop methods for predicting
these changes. The research objective of the Atmospheric Impacts Unit is to develop models for predicting
the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on agricultural
ecosystems by analysis of the results of free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments. The research of the Air
Quality Conservation Unit is focused on clarifying the
22
processes of emission, diffusion, and deposition of air
components such as trace gases, pollens, and dust in agricultural ecosystems.
In FY 2005, the following research was conducted by
the three units: 1) investigation and prediction of spatio-temporal change in agricultural water resources; 2)
development of a dynamic water model for evaluating
agricultural water quality on a regional scale; 3) modeling of spatial and temporal dynamics of the soil carbon
budget; 4) probabilistic risk evaluation of global warming influence on rice production in the Asian region; 5)
prediction of the impacts of atmospheric CO2 increase on
crop production and water use; 6) investigation of the
impact of increasing atmospheric CO2 on heat stress in
crop plants; 7) development of a system for using existing data to estimate and test the cultivar coefficients of
rice development models; 8) modeling and estimation of
the emission and diffusion processes controlling air quality in agro-ecosystems; 9) assessment of the effects of
temporal and spatial variations in the bio-meteorological
environment on alpine grassland ecosystems; 10) a feasibility study of the linkage of regional climate change
with intra-seasonal and inter-annual variations in the
concentrations of ozone and its precursors over Japan;
and 11) detection and prediction of global warming by
using the ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau.
Thirty-seven original research papers were published
in international and domestic journals in FY 2005. The
22nd Meteorology Workshop, entitled “Role of Plants as
an Interface for Gas Exchange between Soil and Atmosphere”, was organized by the Atmospheric Impact Unit
and held at NIAES on 6 March 2006. Dr. Isamu Nouchi,
Head of the Agro-Meteorology Group, won the 2005
Research Award of the Japan Society for Atmospheric
Environment for his excellent study of plant responses to
atmospheric environment change. Dr. Satoshi Inoue, a
senior researcher in the Air Quality Conservation Unit,
was given the 2005 Hirata Prize (encouragement award
for young scientists) of the Japanese Society of Snow
and Ice for his outstanding research on the estimation of
snowfall, maximum snow depth, and snow cover conditions in Japan under global climate change.
Topic: Characteristics of agro-climatic environments
in subtropical islands around Japan
Climate is one of the most important environments
for agriculture. Temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation are important natural resources for crop production. Our objective was to elucidate the characteristics of climatic resources for crop production in the
subtropical islands around Japan. The agro-climatic environments of these subtropical islands were analyzed by
using meteorological data (averages for 1971–2000).
Analysis of the temperature data from Japan’s 154 meteorological stations showed that the horizontal distribution of monthly mean temperature on both the subtropical islands and Japan’s main islands could be expressed
accurately as a function of latitude in all seasons. These
relationships cannot be applied to the monthly mean
temperatures in the eastern areas of the Asian continent,
except in summer (Figs. 1 and 2). The annual mean diJanuary (averaged over 30 years)
Coast
Inland
Island
Continent
20
15
10
5
August (averaged over 30 years)
0
35
-5
-10
-15
-20
20
25
30
35
40
Latitude (deg)
45
50
Fig. 1 Latitudinal distributions of monthly mean (sea
level) temperature in winter (January). The
temperature at each site was reduced to that
at mean sea level by using a lapse rate of 5 K
km–1.
Coast: the coastal area of Japan’s main islands; Inland: the inland area of Japan’s main
islands; Island: small islands around Japan;
Continent: areas in China.
Mean temperature (o C)
Mean temperature (o C)
25
urnal temperature range on the subtropical islands is
around 5 °C—only about half that in the inland areas of
Japan’s main islands (Fig. 3). The ocean has the effect of
reducing temporal and spatial variations in temperature
owing to its large heat capacity. The strength of this effect depends on the temporal and spatial scale of the
temperature variations. That is, although the thermal
effect of the ocean on diurnal temperature variations is
restricted to the subtropical islands and the coastal areas
of Japan’s main islands, the seasonal temperature variations in all areas of Japan are under the influence of the
thermal environment of the Pacific Ocean. The ocean
also supplies water vapor to the atmosphere, resulting in
more precipitation over all areas of Japan (Fig. 4) than
on the continent.
Water balances between precipitation and potential
evaporation were estimated in order to elucidate the hy-
30
25
20
Coast
Inland
Island
Continent
15
10
5
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Latitude (deg)
Fig. 2 Latitudinal distributions of monthly mean (sea
level) temperature in summer (August). The
temperature at each site was reduced to that
at mean sea level by using a lapse rate of 5 K
km–1. Symbols as in Fig. 1.
Annual mean (averaged over 30 years)
Annual total (averaged over 30 years)
Coast
Inland
Island
Continent
12
10
5,000
Yakushima
Precipitation (mm)
Diurnal range of temperature
(oC)
14
8
6
4
2
0
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Latitude (deg)
Fig. 3 Latitudinal distributions of annual mean diurnal ranges of temperature. Symbols as in Fig.
1.
4,000
3,000
Coast
Inland
Island
Continent
Ryukyu Islands
2,000
1,000
Ogasawara Islands
0
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Latitude (deg)
Fig. 4 Latitudinal distribution of annual precipitation.
Symbols as in Fig. 1.
23
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
drological properties in the subtropical islands. These
results suggested that most areas of Japan exhibit humid
climate during all seasons, but also showed the possibility that water stress in crops sometimes occurs in July in
the Ryukyu Islands (not shown). (T. Kuwagata)
2) Ecosystems Group
The Ecosystems Group consists of five research units
and performs both applied and fundamental research.
The Agro-Ecological Sensing Unit is developing remote
sensing and modeling methods for monitoring plant and
environmental dynamics in agricultural and natural ecosystems on the basis of optical and electromagnetic
measurements ranging from leaf scale to regional scale
(see Topic 1). The Statistics Unit is developing novel
statistical methodologies for sampling, classifying, and
analyzing agri-environmental data. The Material
Eco-cycling Unit is studying the nitrogen and nutrient
flow in agro-ecosystems to evaluate the relationship between anthropogenic activities and material cycles in
Japan and East Asia (see Topic 2). The Ecological
Management Unit is studying both historical changes in
the spatial structure of rural ecosystems and the conservation and management of the wildlife that inhabits environments of the Kanto District (see Topic 3). The Remote Sensing Unit is determining the environmental
characteristics that can be observed at a regional scale
through satellite imaging systems such as multi-band and
multi-polarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and
TERRA/MODIS. In FY 2005, we carried out 12 research
projects funded by MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), MEXT (Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and Ministry
of the Environment. Our researchers made 18 overseas
trips—to China, France, Germany, Laos, Portugal, South
Korea, Spain, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam—for international conferences, fieldwork, cooperative projects, and research exchange. We presented 11
papers at international conferences and 52 papers at domestic conferences; they covered anthropology, ecology,
environmental sciences, geography, remote sensing, and
statistics.
Topic 1: Estimating crop canopy parameters by using
reflected polarized light
Recently, attention has been directed to the impact of
agricultural activities upon our surroundings. To clarify
the effects of crop production, it is essential to understand how crops utilize natural and artificial resources,
such as solar energy and fertilizers. In many cases there
is a need to survey the crop nutrient conditions and geometric structure over an extensive farming area in a short
24
time. Mean leaf inclination angle (MLI) and leaf area
index (LAI) are the major variables representing a canopy’s geometric structure, and leaf chlorophyll content
or leaf greenness (LG) and plant height (PH) are important indicators used to assess crop nutrient conditions.
However, the current ways of obtaining data on these
variables have been based on a ‘slash-and-weigh’
method. Although modern instruments such as hand-held
digital chlorophyll analyzers (e.g., SPAD-502) and plant
canopy analyzers (e.g., LAI-2000) allow intact measurements, the opportunity for remote observations is
restricted. Our purpose was therefore to offer a remote
sensing technique for the simultaneous detection of the
crop canopy’s LAI, MLI, LG, and PH by using solar light
reflected from canopy.
A spectropolarimeter for field use, incorporating
eight band-pass filters in the visible, near-, and
short-wave infrared wavelength ranges, was used to
measure reflectance and the polarization of light reflected from growing plant canopies. The center wavelengths of the band-pass filters provided spectral sensitivities to detect the plant nutrient conditions and the
amount of green leaf area. Generally, reflected natural
light from a lustrous surface such as a leaf epidermis is
partly polarized, and the intensity of the polarized light
varies with the angular geometry of the incident and reflected ray directions against the reflecting surface.
Consequently, polarization is potentially useful for
measuring leaf inclination angles. The equipment, whose
field of view was 10°, was mounted on a 1.6 m-high tripod standing on the north side of the canopy. It measured
reflectance and polarization at the view zenith angles of
15° to 75° at 15° intervals, with the azimuth being fixed
toward the sun (Fig. 1). The measurement geometry employed was such that the intensity of polarized light increased with greater horizontal leaf area and/or less vertical leaf area in the canopy.
We examined an artificial neural network (ANN) that
output values of MLI, LAI, LG, and PH captured by using the values of eight-band reflectance and polarization
variables observed from five angles of view (Fig. 2). To
train the ANN, we collected data sets for paddy rice,
wheat, soybean, and sorghum canopies at various growth
stages. MLI and LAI were measured with an LAI-2000
plant canopy analyzer. LG was measured with a
SPAD-502 meter, and PH was scaled manually. Correlation analysis between the values estimated by the trained
ANN and the observed values provided the coefficients
of determination (R2) and root mean square errors
(RMSEs): 0.75/3.2° for MLI, 0.76/0.68 for LAI, 0.72/3.1
for LG, and 0.77/8.5 cm for PH, respectively (Figs. 3 and
4). The ANN requires further training so that it can be
Fig. 1 Schematic of polarimetric measurements.
Fig. 3 Scatter diagram of mean leaf inclination angle
estimated by the artificial neural network and
values measured with a plant canopy analyzer
(LAI-2000).
Fig. 2 Diagram of the artificial neural network (ANN)
used for outputting crop canopy parameters
by capturing multi-band reflectance and polarization variables observed from multiple directions. Numerals underneath each layer indicate the number of variables or neurons included in the layer.
Fig. 4 Scatter diagram of leaf area index estimated
by the artificial neural network and values
measured with a plant canopy analyzer
(LAI-2000).
applied to different crop species, and to improve its performance for a specific crop species or variety. Although
many more refinements need to be made on the technique, it has already shown good performance in detecting multiple canopy parameters of diverse crop species.
(M. Shibayama)
Topic 2: Prediction of nitrogen load and water pollution caused by increasing food demand in East Asia,
1961–2020
Nitrate pollution in groundwater and eutrophication
of lakes and estuaries have occurred recently in some
parts of East Asia. We evaluated nitrogen load to the en-
vironment by using a nitrogen balance model covering
the years of the 1960s and 2020 in East Asia (Japan,
China, South Korea, and 10 countries in Southeast Asia)
to estimate the effect of changes in food production on
the water environment.
Food supply and consumption patterns have been
changing in East Asia. More than 90% of protein was
supplied from cereals in the 1960s, whereas by 2002 this
ratio had decreased to 71%. Per capita meat consumption
has increased markedly in the latest 30 years in many
countries, and this increase is strongly related to economic growth (Fig. 5a). Consumption of other livestock
products such as milk and eggs has also increased. In
25
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
contrast, per capita rice consumption has tended to decline with GDP growth (Fig. 5b). Production of 1 kg of
meat demands several to 10 kg of feed. Cereal production has consequently increased rapidly, from 146 million tons in 1961 to 481 million tons in 2002 to supply
animal feed and human food, and this increase in production has been readily achieved by the increasing use
of nitrogen fertilizer. As a result, the nitrogen load imposed on the environment by food production and supply
increased from 5 million tons to 42 million tons during
this period.
In accordance with the relationship between food
consumption and economic status in regard to each kind
of food in each country, future food demand and nitrogen
load to 2020 were predicted on the basis of various
growth scenarios for population and GDP, provided by
the United Nations and the OECD, respectively. Population and total GDP in East Asia will respectively grow by
1.1 to 1.15 times and 2.2 to 2.3 times the present values
by 2020. Meat consumption is predicted to increase by
1.35 to 1.40 times, whereas production of cereals for
Topic 3: Evaluation of difficulty in wildlife range expansion on the basis of land use
Wildlife is expanding its distribution range in the
hilly and mountainous areas of Japan. This phenomenon
is leading to conflicts between humans and wildlife, such
as agricultural damage. Estimation of the expansion of
wildlife distributions is an important issue in wildlife
management. To estimate wildlife range expansion we
need to evaluate not only the suitability of land use as
wildlife habitat but also its spatial structure.
Our aim was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of
land-use structure on range expansion by using a cost
distance method and a Geographical Information System
240
China
Japan
South Korea
Brunei
Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Viet Nam
(a) Meat
60
40
20
0
Per capita rice consumption
(kg/y)
Per capita meat consumption
(kg/y)
80
food will increase by only 1.05 to 1.09 times the present
values. Our model predicted that, in 2020, the total nitrogen load will be 55 to 59 million tons (1.3 to 1.4 times
the present load) across the entire region, and severe
water pollution will be widespread if no improvements
in the nitrogen use efficiencies of crop and livestock
production are attained (Fig. 6). (J. Shindo)
(b) Rice
180
120
60
0
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Per capita GDP (US$ at constant 1990 prices)
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Per capita GDP (US$ at constant 1990 prices)
Fig. 5 Relationships between per capita food consumption and GDP for (a) meat and (b) rice.
(a)
(b)
0
10
(c)
20
30
40
50
60 (mg N/L)
Fig. 6 Estimated and predicted nitrogen concentrations in groundwater in (a) 1980, (b)
2000, and (c) 2020 (mg N/L).
26
(GIS).
Cost distance is a cumulative distance calculated by
counting each cell’s cost value. It expresses the difficulty
of movement between two cells on a GIS map. We developed a logistic regression model of the expansion of
the range of the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) on
the Boso Peninsula, Japan. In this regression model, the
response variable was the presence or absence of range
expansion from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. The determinant factors were euclidean distance and cost distance.
Calculate likelihood
We searched the cost values of each land use that gave
the minimum AIC (Akaike’s Information Criterion) in
the regression model. The algorithm used to determine
the cost value of each land use is shown in Figure 7.
The analysis revealed that the cost distance gave a
better AIC of the model than did the euclidean distance.
The cost values that gave the smallest AIC are shown in
Table 1. Figure 8 shows the euclidean and cost distance
maps of the investigation area. According to this model,
any type of woodland has low cost value and thus does
Evaluate
model fitting
of euclidian distance
Worse fit
Better fit
Add cost value in
Accept new cost
Reject new cost
land use
value
value
Execute logistic
Check number
of iteration
regression model
Satisfied
Complete
Not satisfied
Calculate AIC
Go to next land
value
use
Fig. 7 Algorithm used to determine the cost value of each land use.
Table 1 Comparison of cost values and AICs between euclidean distance and cost distance.
Land use
Euclidean
distance
Deciduous broad-leaved forest
Evergreen broad-leaved forest
Evergreen coniferous forest
Bamboo grass
Bamboo
Grassland, Golf course
Orchard
Upland crop
Paddy field
Cliff
Marsh
Residence, empty plot
AIC
Cost
distance
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2223.1
2
1
1
1
6
28
1
8
9
2
1
12
2028.2
27
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
a) Euclidean distance map
b) Cost distance map
Fig. 8 Comparison between euclidean distance map and cost distance map.
not slow the expansion of the monkey’s range. On the
other hand, agricultural fields, such as upland and paddy
fields, have high cost values, even though Japanese
monkeys often use these types of land as food patches.
This suggests that the importance of agricultural fields as
food patches and as expansion obstacles varies. Grasslands and bamboo groves also had high cost values. In
this study, the ‘grassland’ category included golf courses
and quarries. These types of land use may obstruct expansion of the range of the Japanese monkey. These cost
values were optimized for the investigation area. In other
study areas, cost values would have to be calculated on
the basis of the land uses in those areas. (N. Iwasaki)
3) Greenhouse Gas Emission Team
Considerable attention has been paid in recent years
to the likelihood of significant changes in world climate
owing to the presence of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). GHGs, such as
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide
(N2O), can absorb thermal radiation from the surface of
the Earth and thus contribute to the warming of the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) has reported that concentrations of atmospheric GHGs and their radiative forcing have continued to increase as a result of various human activities.
Agriculture contributes over 20% of the total global
anthropogenic GHG emissions. In particular, 55% to
60% and 65% to 80% of total emissions of CH4 and N2O,
respectively, are derived from agricultural sources. These
28
GHGs are emitted to the atmosphere as a result of accelerated turnover of carbon and nitrogen in agricultural
soils and the surrounding environment through increased
input of chemical and organic fertilizers and other
agro-materials. This increased input also results in increased emission of nitric oxide (NO) and ammonia
(NH3), which are precursors of acid rain, and in pollution
of rivers and groundwater by leaching of nitrogen and
carbon components. Land-use change and burning of
plant biomass increase emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O, and
other trace gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and halocarbons.
The Greenhouse Gas Emission Team studies the
emission and absorption of these environmentally important gases in association with different land uses and
agricultural management. The activities of the team are
based on field measurements of GHG exchange, laboratory experiments, data interpretation, and modeling. The
goals of the team are 1) to quantify and model the processes of GHG emission and absorption (Mechanism); 2)
to estimate the rates of GHG emission and absorption
(Inventory); and 3) to develop promising and feasible
technologies that reduce GHG emissions (Mitigation).
The studies have been developed to address scientifically
and socially important questions related to the environmental impacts of agriculture.
Topic: Effect of rotation of paddy rice and upland
crop cultivation on methane and nitrous oxide emissions
Land-use change by the rotation of paddy rice and
upland crop cultivation is widely conducted in Japan’s
paddy fields to control the overproduction of rice. We
expected that land-use change from irrigated paddy to
drained upland field would dramatically alter the emission of GHGs, owing to changes in the soil environment.
We have been using an automated flux monitoring
system to monitor CH4 and N2O emissions in consecutive paddy cultivations and rotational cultivations of
paddy rice and upland crops in experimental field plots.
In the rotational cultivation treatment, plots with a history of consecutive paddy cultivation were drained for
either single cropping of upland rice or double cropping
of soybean and wheat for 2 years, followed by irrigated
paddy cultivation for another 2 years (Fig. 1). Water
management and fertilizer application followed conventional Japanese practices in all treatments.
Annual emission rates of CH4 and N2O from each
treatment are shown in Table 1, along with annual and
total CO2 equivalent rates, which were calculated by
multiplying the emission rates by the GWP (global
warming potential) values. Significant CH4 emissions
Plot
were observed only from paddy rice cultivation during
the flooded period, while drained upland crop cultivation
absorbed atmospheric CH4 throughout the years. On the
other hand, N2O emission rates from upland crop cultivation were significantly higher than those from paddy
rice cultivation. These results indicate a trade-off relation
of CH4 and N2O emissions between paddy rice and upland crop cultivation. The large CH4 emission from the
paddy rice plot in 2003, which was attributed to shorter
midseason aeration than the other years, suggested that
water management with complete midseason drainage
and following intermittent irrigation was effective to
mitigate CH4 emissions from paddy fields.
CH4 emission rates from the rotational plots were
significantly lower than those from the consecutive
paddy rice plots in 2004, when paddy rice was cultivated
again in the rotational plots. The relative emission rates
of CH4 were 8% and 46% in the plots with a cultivation
history of upland rice and soybean–wheat, respectively,
compared with the rate in the consecutive paddy rice
plots. Low emission of CH4 was observed again in the
soybean–wheat history plots in 2005. Further research
1995-2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Consecutive paddy rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Rotation: upland rice and
paddy rice
Paddy
rice
Upland
rice
Upland
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Rotation: sybean/wheat
and paddy rice
Paddy
rice
Soybean Soybean Paddy
-Wheat -Wheat
rice
Paddy
rice
Fig. 1 Experimental field plots monitored by an automated flux monitoring system at NIAES, along with
the table showing the experimental design.
29
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Table 1 Annual and total emission rates of CH4 and N2O from each treatment.
Consecutive paddy rice
Peroid
Crop
CH4
（CO2 eq. for CH4）
N2O
[mg CH4 m-2]
-2
[g CO2 m ]
-2
[mg N m ]
（CO2 eq. for N2O）
[g CO2 m ]
Total CO2 eq.
[g CO2 m ]
4 years total CO2 eq.
[g CO2 m-2]
-2
-2
Upland rice - paddy rice
2002
2003
2004
2005
2002
2003
2004
2005
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Upland
rice
Upland
rice
Paddy
rice
Paddy
rice
Soybean/wheat - paddy rice
2002.01- 2003.06- 2004.062003.06 2004.06 2004.12
Soybean Soybean
/wheat /wheat
Paddy
rice
2005
Paddy
rice
3128 18080
(72) (416)
60
57
6092
(140)
55
5893
(136)
41
-92
(-2)
241
-64
(-1)
223
510
(12)
71
5123
(118)
39
-128
(-3)
353
-79
(-2)
173
2863
(66)
34
1331
(31)
57
(28)
(100)
(26)
(166)
(19)
(155)
(112)
(110)
(104)
(102)
(33)
(45)
(18)
(136)
(164)
(161)
(81)
(79)
(16)
(81)
(26)
(57)
(26)
(442)
(863)
will be needed for us to understand the mechanisms that
reduce CH4 emissions from paddy fields after upland
crop cultivation, but changes in the soil environment,
including the amount of crop residue input, the microbial
community structure, and the chemical composition of
the soil, probably influenced the emission rates.
Total emission rates of CH4 and N2O as CO2 equivalents during the 4-year experimental period were calculated to be 863, 393, and 378 g m–2 in the consecutive
paddy, upland rice – paddy rice rotation, and soybean–wheat – paddy rice rotations, respectively (Table 1).
This result indicates that rotation of paddy fields with
upland crop cultivation is a promising option for the
mitigation of CH4 and N2O emissions. This option would
be particularly effective in paddy fields with high potential for CH4 emission, such as those with poorly drained
soil structure or with low soil iron content. (K. Yagi, S.
Nishimura, H. Akiyama and S. Sudo)
(393)
(378)
infestation of paddy fields under global warming; 3) prediction of the impacts of climate change on food supplies; 4) development of a technique to comprehensively
evaluate the influence of global warming on agriculture,
forestry, and fisheries; 5) prediction of agricultural productivity change, incorporating responses to global
warming; 6) evaluation of the influence of environmental
change on the organic carbon content and nitrogen supply capability of soils; and 7) evaluation of the vulnerability of agriculture by using soil, vegetation, and hydrology analyses.
From these activities, we developed techniques for
predicting precipitation on a small scale, patterns of insect damage, and the organic matter content of soils. Although we can expect an expansion of the potential areas
of land cultivated for some crops, we are concerned that
food production will become unstable in response to
temporal and spatial maldistribution of precipitation and
an increase in insect damage.
4) Food Production Prediction Team
The mission of the Food Production Prediction Team
is to assess both the impact of global environmental
change on food production and the effectiveness of
technologies designed to mitigate adverse environmental
changes in meeting food production targets. Our major
research domains are assessment of the impact of global
warming on agriculture; monitoring and modeling of
environmental changes in agricultural ecosystems; development of regional climate change scenarios; and
assessment of the variability of climate systems in Asian
monsoon countries. This year, all 16 researchers on the
team went abroad for field surveys or presentations at
international conferences, but there were no guest scientists from overseas.
The team conducted the following seven activities in
FY 2005: 1) development of advanced techniques for
projecting future climate change by using ocean- atmosphere coupled global climate models (GCMs) and statistical methods; 2) prediction of patterns of insect pest
30
Topic: Effect of climate change on cereal production
in Eastern Asia
Climate change will generally affect both the air
temperature and precipitation in eastern Asia. From the
results of simulation studies performed with the global
climate model (GCM) of the Center for Climate System
Research at the University of Tokyo, it is becoming clear
that the effects of climate change on cereal production in
this area will be both positive and negative.
The pluses of an air temperature increase apply to
areas where a rice crop is currently planted during the
cooler season. The air temperature in these double
rice-cropping areas (e.g., in the north of Hefei and the
west of Guangzhou in China) during this cool season
will reach the potential zone for rice cultivation (Fig. 1a).
The air temperature in single rice-cropping areas (e.g.,
Dhaka in Bangladesh) during the cooler season will
reach the suitable zone for cultivating rice (Fig. 2a). On
the other hand, the increase in air temperature will nega-
tively affect wheat-cropping areas. The air temperature is
currently suitable for cultivating winter wheat in the
south of Faisalabad; in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh; the
northwest of Chongqing; the southwest of Hefei; Jinan;
the north of Chongqing; and the west of Faisalabad (Fig.
3a). The air temperature increase will be disadvantageous for cultivating wheat because the air temperature
will be above the upper limit of the potential zone. Thus,
crops cultivated in the northwest of Changchun (i.e.
spring wheat) should be changed to maize in order to use
the arable land sustainably.
Pluses of a precipitation increase involve rice cropping areas during the dry season and dry wheat cropping
area. Currently, Dhaka is dry during the second season
(Fig. 2b). Jinan is currently dry during the wheat season
(Fig. 3b). The precipitation will be above the lower limit
Fig. 1 Changes in (a) air temperature and (b) precipitation in double-crop rice-cropping areas. The
number after the location name corresponds to the cropping season: 1 for the main season and
2 for the second season. Us in the graph indicates the upper limit of the suitable range for cultivation and Up indicates that of the potentially suitable range; Ls indicates the lower limit of
the suitable range and Lp indicates that of the potentially suitable range.
Fig. 2 Changes in (a) air temperature and (b) precipitation in single rice-cropping areas. The number
after the location name corresponds to the cropping season: 1 for the main season and 2 for
the second season. Us in the graph indicates the upper limit of the suitable range for cultivation
and Up indicates that of the potentially suitable range; Ls indicates the lower limit of the suitable range and Lp indicates that of the potentially suitable range.
31
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Fig. 3 Changes in (a) air temperature and (b) precipitation in rice- and wheat-cropping areas during
the second (wheat) season. Us in the graph indicates the upper limit of the suitable range for
cultivation and Up indicates that of the potentially suitable range; Ls indicates the lower limit
of the suitable range and Lp indicates that of the potentially suitable range.
Rice Supply (kg per Capita), E&SE Asia
600
Japan
Korea, South
Korea, North
China
Malaysia
Thailand
VietNam
Cambodia
Philippines
Indonesia
Laos
Myanmar
500
400
300
200
100
0
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
3.500
4.000
4.500
5.000
GDP (log US$ per Capita)
Fig. 4 Relationship between per capita GDP and per capita rice production.
of the potential zone. Minuses of a precipitation increase
involve subtropical rice cropping areas and wheat cropping areas. The precipitations in the double rice-cropping
area in Punjab (Fig. 1b) and the single rice-cropping area
at Dhaka (Fig. 2b) during the main season, from June to
October, will increase rapidly. The Punjab is located in
the upper reaches of the Ganges River, and Dhaka in the
lower reaches. The lower reaches of the river would be
threatened by flooding during the main season. Precautionary measures against flooding, such as the fortifica-
32
tion of infrastructures (e.g., by building embankments
and setting up drainage pumps) would be required.
We also need to focus on changes in socioeconomic
conditions to evaluate the impact of climate change on
crop production. We found a positive correlation between per capita GDP and per capita rice production in
rice-exporting countries, but a negative correlation in
other countries (Fig 4). To evaluate the per capita rice
production in rice-exporting countries we added the
quantity of rice exported to the per capita consumption;
Main Crop Rice
Second Crop Rice
25,000,000
22,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
Area (km2)
Area (km2)
20,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
1TsPs
[sq. km]
18,000,000
1Tp/sPs/p [sq. km]
1TpPp [sq. km]
16,000,000
1Tp/sPi
[sq. km]
1TSiPp/s [sq. km]
1TiPi
[sq. km]
14,000,000
1TsPs [sq. km]
Ts & Ps
1Tp/sPs/p [sq. km]
(Ts & Pp) or (Tp & Ps)
1TpPp [sq. km]
Tp & Pp
1Tp/sPi [sq. km]
(Ts / Tp)
& Pi
1TSiPp/s
[sq. km]
Ti &
1TiPi
[sq.(Ps
km]/ Pp)
12,000,000
0
19
61
-90
20
05
20
10
20
15
20
20
20
25
20
30
20
35
20
40
20
45
20
50
20
55
20
60
20
65
20
70
20
75
20
80
20
85
20
90
20
95
10,000,000
Year
-90 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
61 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
19
Year
Fig. 5 Changes in suitable and potential areas for rice cropping, as estimated from climatic
conditions simulated by HadCM3/A2 (see text). Left panel shows changes in suitable
and potential areas for the main rice crop, and the right panel those for the second
rice crop. Ts in the graph indicates the area with a suitable temperature for cultivating
rice, Tp that with a potential temperature, Ti that with a non-potential temperature, Ps
that with a suitable precipitation, Pp that with potential precipitation, and Pi that with
non-potential precipitation. Portions in gray indicate Ti and Pi (i.e., the area with both
temperature and precipitation that are not potential for cultivating rice).
production was predicted to increase continuously in the
first half of the 21st century. Per capita rice production in
non-rice-exporting countries was almost the same as per
capita rice consumption and is expected to decrease from
now on.
Changes in suitable or potential areas for cultivating
rice were estimated according to the climate change defined by the 2001–99 simulation data of Hadley Center’s
Global Climate Model under scenario A2 (HadCM3/A2).
For the main rice crop, the total area with both suitable
temperature and suitable precipitation, or with one suitable and the other potentially suitable, was predicted to
increase. For the second rice crop, the total area with
both suitable temperature and suitable precipitation, or
with one suitable and the other potentially suitable, was
predicted to be nearly constant (Fig. 5). Consequently,
the balance in rice supply and demand is likely to be
roughly maintained. (K. Okamoto and H. Toritani)
5) Ecosystem Gas Exchange Team
To investigate seasonal and inter-annual variations in
carbon, water vapor, and energy exchange between agricultural ecosystems and the atmosphere, the Ecosystem
Gas Exchange Team conducts long-term observations of
gas and energy fluxes at a single-cropping rice paddy site
in central Japan. Along with making standard measurements of meteorological and ecological variables, we are
measuring the flux densities of carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), water vapor, and sensible heat by using
the eddy covariance method. Process studies on carbon
exchange utilizing stable isotopes are also conducted.
From 4-year observations (2002–2005), we found that
net ecosystem production (NEP) at the paddy site
showed inter-annual variations ranging from 130 to 290
g C m–2 year–1 as a result of year-to-year variations in the
amount of incident solar radiation and the number of
days in the growing season that the paddy field was
drained, and variations in temperature in the non-growing season.
In FY 2005, a new study site was established at Mymensingh, in northern Bangladesh, in collaboration with
Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). At a double-cropping rice paddy site within the campus of BAU,
we installed the instruments required for measurement of
CO2 flux density and micrometeorology and started our
observations in February 2006 (Photo 1). We will be able
to compare the results of the observations with those in
Japanese paddy fields and then use these comparisons to
investigate the variability in the carbon budgets of rice
paddy ecosystems in Asia.
Our studies are supported by MAFF, MOE, and
MEXT and are closely linked to AsiaFlux, which operates tower-based sites for the observation of carbon and
water vapor exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and
the atmosphere in eastern and southeastern Asia as part
of the worldwide network FLUXNET. Through the activities of AsiaFlux, we are collaborating with domestic
institutions such as the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and the National Insti-
33
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Photo 1 Study site at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, northern Bangladesh.
tute for Environmental Studies. We are also giving technical support to the project “Establishment of good practices for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from
Japanese grasslands”, organized by the Japan Grassland
Agriculture and Forage Seed Association. In November
2005 we hosted a training course on the post-processing
of eddy covariance flux measurement data, and we also
invited two young scientists from BAU for training in
fieldwork and data processing. We host a post-doctoral
fellow funded by MOE, and we also host four technical
staff members under the Cooperative System for Supporting Priority Research (FY 2000–2005), sponsored by
the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
Topic: Utilization of stable isotopes to investigate
carbon exchange between the paddy ecosystem and
the atmosphere
Stable isotope measurement of atmospheric gases is a
useful tool for investigating the mechanisms of gas exchange between the terrestrial ecosystem and the atmosphere, and it is utilized to partition net gas fluxes into
their component fluxes. It is known that temporal variation in the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem respiration (δR) is closely related to the environmental vari-
34
ables that influence photosynthetic isotope discrimination (∆). By field experiments on stable carbon isotopes
of CO2 and CH4 at the paddy flux site, we showed that
belowground methanogenesis has a strong impact on δR
and leads to a partial decoupling between δR and ∆.
We determined δR by applying the Keeling plot to
observed night-time profiles of CO2 mixing ratio and
δ13C of CO2 within and above rice canopy. The determined δR varied from –26.3‰ to –22.8‰ over the
growing season in 2003 and was consistently more positive than the δ13C of the whole rice leaf (Fig. 1), indicating that not only aboveground but also belowground
respiration contributed to the total ecosystem respiration.
δR increased by 1.1‰ to 3.1‰ upon drainage, consistent
with increased CH4 and night-time CO2 fluxes. As the
season progressed, the leaf bulk δ13C increased as a result of declining photosynthetic discrimination, whereas
the δ13C of soil CO2 was gradually enriched in 13C, from
–23.2‰ to –16.6‰, reflecting a large isotopic fractionation associated with CO2-dependent methanogenesis.
Correlation analyses between δR and driving factors
showed that ecosystem factors related to methanogenesis
had shorter lags and better correlation with δR than did
the environmental variables that influence photosynthe-
sis.
Given the distinct isotopic differences between δR
and its above- and below-ground components, we partitioned ecosystem respiration into plant and soil respiration, assuming negligible fractionation in respiration and
CO2 transport. The estimated proportion of soil respiration varied from 20% to 50% of the ecosystem respiration, depending on vegetation stage, temperature, and
flooding/drainage conditions. We found a good agreement between net primary production obtained by field
sampling and that estimated from the inferred soil respiration and measured NEP. (G. H. Han, A. Miyata and M.
Mano)
References
Han, G.H., H. Yoshikoshi, H. Nagai, T. Yamada, K. Ono,
M. Mano and A. Miyata (2006) Isotopic disequilibrium between carbon assimilated and respired in a
rice paddy as influenced by methanogenesis from
CO2. Journal of Geophysical Research, in press.
Fig. 1 (Top panel) Seasonal variations in δR (circles and triangles for flooded
and drained periods, respectively) and δ13C value of the whole rice leaf
(squares). Error bars are standard errors for δR and the measurement
precision for rice leaf. Drainage periods are indicated by bars along the
top axis of the graph. (Bottom panel) Seasonal variations in δ13C values
of CO2 (circles) and CH4 (asterisks) entrapped in soil. Error bars
represent standard errors. (Han et al. 2006, with modification)
35
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Department of Biological Safety
The Department of Biological Safety includes the
three research groups of Plant Ecology, Entomology, and
Microbiology, as well as the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Assessment Team, as described below.
The GMO Assessment Team was formed with the aim of
using recent advances in biotechnology and bioindustry
for environmental impact assessment of GMOs. The
mission of the Department as a whole is to assess the
environmental impact of GMOs as well as of alien invasive and introduced living organisms, and to investigate
the interaction of biodiversity and agriculture in terms of
biosafety and sustainable agriculture. The Department is
developing advanced methods to use in these assessments.
The major research domains of the Department are:
1) evaluation of the influence of agricultural activities on
agro-ecosystems and biodiversity; 2) environmental impact assessment of introduced natural enemies and alien
invasive organisms; 3) identification of biologically active chemicals and their effects on organisms in
agro-ecosystems; and 4) risk assessment of GMOs
within agro-ecosystems. Research is performed in collaboration with other research groups within and outside
NIAES, and the approaches cover a number of research
fields, such as molecular, chemical, population, and
landscape ecology.
The research of the Plant Ecology Group is focused
on vegetation dynamics and conservation of vegetation,
assessment of invasive and introduced plant species in
agro-ecosystems, and plant diversity in relation to agricultural production. Current research topics are: 1) effects of sulfonylurea herbicides on plant species, including aquatic plants, in agro-ecosystems; 2) landscape
ecological approaches to the prediction of vegetation
dynamics in relation to farmland use; and 3) the search
for allelochemicals and elucidation of allelopathic
mechanisms for maintaining agro-ecological vegetation.
The Entomology Group focuses on the following
three major targets: 1) ecological risk assessment of alien
insects such as natural enemies of insect pests; 2) analysis of the population dynamics of insect herbivores in
response to the spatial distribution patterns of plants; and
3) identification of semiochemicals and analysis of the
mechanisms of sex pheromone resistance.
The Microbiology Group aims to characterize microbial communities and to develop technologies for
effective management of microbial resources in
agro-ecosystems. Current research activities are: 1) investigation of microbial diversity and interactions in the
soil under different agro-ecosystems; 2) analysis of the
effects of environmental factors, including microbial
secondary metabolites, on the survival and diversity of
Photo Transplanting in a small paddy field that plays an important role in bringing biodiversity to
the campus at NIAES.
36
microbes; and 3) determination of the taxonomy, biology,
and ecology of nematode communities.
The research objective of the GMO Assessment
Team is to investigate the effects of the release of GMOs
on the environment. The principal fields of interest are:
1) clarification of the dispersal and transfer mechanisms
of genes from GMOs to other organisms; 2) assessment
of the impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin in corn
pollen on Lepidoptera; and 3) monitoring of changes in
the composition of weeds, insects, and soil microorganisms caused by the cultivation of genetically modified
crops.
The major activities of the Department in FY 2005
were: 1) publication of 10 main research results in the
NIAES Major Research Topics Annual (these results are
described below as topics in the introduction to the research groups and the team); 2) organization of open
seminars on “Invasive Alien Plant Species” at Tsukuba
and at Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture, in December
2005 and March 2006, respectively; 3) implementation
and coordination of research projects on “Assurance of
the Safe Use of Genetically Modified Organisms” and
“Risk Assessment and Control of Alien Plants”, and participation in projects organized by such organizations as
MAFF and MEXT; and 4) attendance of departmental
staff at many international symposia and workshops.
Furthermore, in March 2005 Dr. K. Yamamura, a
senior researcher in the Population Ecology Unit, won an
award from the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology
and Zoology for his research on the development of statistical methods for estimating population parameters of insects (see Highlights).
major rice herbicide sulfonylurea in six aquatic vascular
plants, including four threatened species, and compared
the toxicities in these plants with those in the green alga
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (Ishihara 2005), which
is a test species used for the pesticide registration, and
the blue-green alga Merismopedia tenuissima (Ishihara
2005), which is a common native species in Japan but is
not used in official tests for pesticide registration. We
used hydroponic culture and soil culture to examine the
effect of a sulfonylurea herbicide bensulfuron-methyl on
the relative growth rate, and estimated the 50% effect
concentration (EC50). Among the plants tested, the
threatened free-floating fern Salvinia natans (Photo 1)
had the highest susceptibility to bensulfuron-methyl, and
the susceptibility of this species was much higher than
that of P. subcapitata (Table 1), suggesting that the test
species used for pesticide registration is unable to detect
the risk of bensulfuron-methyl to the threatened S.
natans. On the other hand, M. tenuissima exhibited
susceptibility comparable to that of S. natans, suggesting
that addition of this blue-green alga as a test species
would be useful for detecting the risks of bensulfuron-methyl and would thus complement the ecological
risk assessment of pesticides under the present legal
regulations. Moreover, we conducted soil culture of S.
natans to elucidate the relative acute toxicities among
three sulfonylureas, bensulfuron-methyl, imazosulfuron
and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl. The acute toxicities of these
three herbicides were comparable, suggesting that they
pose the same ecological risk to S. natans. (H. Ikeda)
1) Plant Ecology Group
The Plant Ecology Group consists of the Vegetation,
Landscape, and Chemical Ecology Units. These units
individually carry out research on the impact of agriculture on plant diversity; methods for monitoring vegetation changes in agro-ecosystems; and interactions among
agricultural organisms through biologically active
chemicals. The major results obtained in 2005 are described below in research topics 1 and 2.
Topic 1: High susceptibilities of the aquatic fern
Salvinia natans to sulfonylurea herbicides
Since June 2005, fish, crustacean and green algae
have been used as test organisms to determine the registration withholding limits for pesticides in Japanese ecological impact assessments. However, there is no evidence to confirm that green algae are suitable representatives of aquatic plants in the testing of pesticides toxicities. Therefore, we estimated the acute toxicities of a
Photo 1 The threatened aquatic fern Salvinia
natans (All.). Plants were collected from
lotus-cropping areas around Lake Kasumigaura and raised outdoors in plastic
boxes. Naturally produced sporelings at
the four- or five-leaf stage were used for
exposure experiments.
37
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Table 1. Acute toxicities of bensulfuron-methyl (sulfonylurea herbicide).
Plant species
Azolla japonica
Salvinia natans
Marsilea quadrifolia
Blyxa echinosperma
Lemna minor
Spirodela polyrhiza
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata ¶
Merismopedia tenuissima ¶
Taxonomic
group
IUCN§
rank
Fern
Fern
Fern
Monocot
Monocot
Monocot
Green alga
Blue-green alga
Ⅱ
Ⅱ
Ⅱ
Ⅱ
Non
Non
Non
Non
Hydroponic culture
Exposure
EC50
time (d)
(µg L-1)
12
2.0-5.8
12
0.22-1.6
10
28-47
20
4000
12
1.9-6.0
12
6.1-17
3
62
3
1.5
Soil culture (2002)
Exposure
EC50
time (d)
(µg L-1)†
20
6.8
20
1.9
20
9.7
20
20
27
86
§The World Conservation Union, †50% effect concentration 1 day after treatment, ¶ Ishihara (2005) Symposium Series 899,
112-123, American Chemistry Society.
Reference
Ishihara, S. (2005) Concentrations of herbicides used in
rice paddy fields in river water and impact on algal
production. Symposium Series 899, 112-123,
American Chemistry Society.
38
Sum of mass chromatogram
at m/z 42, 43, 44, TIC
and 171
(B)
Intensity
Topic 2: Quantitative determination of cyanamide,
improving sensitivity, accuracy, robustness, speed,
and operational easiness
Cyanamide (H2NCN) is a multifunctional agrochemical used, for example, as a pesticide, herbicide, and
fertilizer. Recent research has revealed that cyanamide is
a natural product biosynthesized in some leguminous
plants such as hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). We have developed a new method for the quantification of cyanamide. In this method, cyanamide is detected by gas
chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS) instrumentation equipped with a capillary column for amines.
Quantitative signals of (14N2)cyanamide (natural cyanamide), (15N2)cyanamide (internal standard for stable isotope dilution method), and m- (trifluoromethyl) benzonitrile (internal standard for correcting errors in GC–MS
analysis) are recorded as peak areas on mass chromatograms at m/z 42 (A42), 44 (A44), and 171 (AIS), respectively (Fig. 1). The natural cyanamide content is derived
by multiplying the A42/A44 ratio by the amount of added
(15N2)cyanamide (stable isotope dilution – GC–MS
method; SID–GC–MS method). The limit of detection
for the total cyanamide content by the GC–MS analysis
is around 1 ng. This method successfully gives a reasonable value for the natural cyanamide content of hairy
vetch. The value is consistent with that obtained by a
conventional method in which cyanamide is derivatized
to the photometrically active compound 4-cyanimido-1,
2-naphthoquinone and analyzed by reversed-phase
(A)
m/z 42
(C)
m/z 44
(D)
m/z 171
8
9
10
11
12
Retention time (min)
Fig. 1 Representative GC–MS chromatograms of a
sample solution prepared from a hairy vetch
extract containing natural cyanamide, 15(N2)
cyanamide (internal standard for the stable
isotope dilution method), and m- (trifluoromethyl) benzonitrile (internal standard for
correcting errors in the GC–MS analysis):
(A) signals recorded as the sum of mass
chromatograms at m/z 42, 43, 44, and
171; (B) mass chromatogram at m/z 42 for
the determination of (14N2) cyanamide; (C)
mass chromatogram at m/z 44 for the determination of (15N2) cyanamide; (D) mass
chromatogram at m/z 171 for the determination of m-(trifluoromethyl) benzonitrile.
The y-gain values of all chromatograms were
adjusted to the same value. The amount of
15(N2) cyanamide added was 88.2 mg kg–1
fresh weight of hairy vetch.
HPLC (CNQ-HPLC method); however, the SID–GC–
MS method is much more sensitive, accurate, and robust,
as well as faster and simpler, than the CNQ-HPLC
method. (Hiradate et al., 2005). (S. Hiradate, T. Kamo, E.
Nakajima, K. Kato and Y. Fujii)
Reference
Hiradate, S., T. Kamo, E. Nakajima, K. Kato, Y. Fujii
(2005) Direct quantitative determination of cyanamide by stable isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography
A, 1098: 138–143
2) Entomology Group
The mission of the Entomology Group is to prevent
the disturbance of agro-ecosystems by native and exotic
insect species and to assess the non-target effects of introduced insects. In FY 2005, the three units of the
Group studied three major subjects covering eight practical research subjects. Furthermore, the Entomology
Group conducted cooperative studies with the Food
Production Prediction Team, the GMO assessment team,
and the Plant Ecology Group.
The Introduced Insect Assessment Unit has been
studying the non-target effects of natural enemies introduced from overseas. As case studies, we studied the
potential for hybridization between Torymus sinensis (the
introduced parasitoid of the chestnut gall wasp) and the
indigenous species T. beneficus, and between the introduced green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea and the indigenous species C. nipponensis. Interspecific offspring
between T. sinensis and T. beneficus could not be found
in the field by using DNA markers. Interspecific hybridization between C. carnea and C. nipponensis occurred in the laboratory, but the rate was very low (Topic
1). On the basis of the last 5 year studies, we have proposed an environmental impact assessment methodology
for natural enemy introduction.
The Population Ecology Unit studied the effects of
the spatial distribution of a host plant, the common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia, on the population dynamics of the ragweed beetle Ophraella communa. The occurrences of the ragweeds and beetles were surveyed for
3 years in an area of about 400 ha surrounding our Institute. Population trend and spatial distribution analyses
showed that the beetle population fluctuated greatly from
year to year and that the ragweed patches were contagiously distributed. A spatially explicit model of the host
plant – beetle system was constructed, incorporating the
spatial distribution of the host patches, and a simulation
was performed to estimate fluctuations in the beetle
population. The results suggested that the dispersal rate
of the beetles and the distance between host patches are
important for stability of the beetle population.
The Insect Semiochemical Unit studied the influence of a communication disruptant, used to control the
smaller tea tortrix moth Adoxophyes honmai, on the
egg-larval parasitoid Ascogaster reticulatus. Under
treatment with the communication disruptant, adult eclosion, life span, exploratory behavior, mating behavior,
and egg-laying behavior in the egg–larval parasitoid
were observed. Average total egg-laying times in the
treatment and control groups were 1674 s and 2215 s,
respectively, and these two values were significantly
different. Egg–larval parasitoids under treatment more
strongly avoided laying their eggs in eggs that were already parasitized than did the controls. However, the
communication disruptant was expected not to have an
effect on the egg–larval parasitoid, as the proportion of
parasitized eggs (90.1%) under treatment was almost the
same as that of the controls (87.3%).
The insect Gene Bank Project has been run by the
above mentioned two units and the Insect Systematics
Laboratory since 2000. The purposes of this project are
to collect and successfully rear insect species or strains
(e.g., for use as natural enemies or in bioassays) and to
supply these insects to laboratories requesting them for
research. In 2005, the indigenous Dichochrysa formasana was added to the collection. Orius nagaii (Anthocoridae) was added to the active collection. The total
collection was 18 species as of February 2006. The
physiological and ecological characteristics of about 31
items in the collection were evaluated.
Topic 1: Interspecific hybridization between introduced and indigenous green lacewings (Neuroptera:
Chrysopidae) at different adult densities
Recently, there has been concern that the release of
exotic natural enemies might affect the biodiversity of
native non-target species. In Japan, the green lacewing,
designated Chrysoperla carnea has been imported from
Germany since 2001 as a biopesticide. Chrysoperla
carnea has long been assumed to be a single widespread
morphological species with a Holarctic distribution.
However, evidence has been reported that it constitutes a
complex of several cryptic species that can be strictly
divided into species only by their courtship songs. The
Japanese indigenous green lacewing had also been categorized as C. carnea, but it has now been revised to C.
nipponensis. Its courtship song is distinct from that of
the introduced green lacewing, whose song has the same
pattern as the true C. carnea. Because the two taxa are
now in the same habitat, there is, however, potential for
either competitive displacement or hybridization (and
39
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
thus for loss of the potentially beneficial attributes of C.
nipponensis). Last year, I reported that the risk of competitive displacement was low. This year, I present the
results of interspecific hybridization between C. carnea
and C. nipponensis at different adult densities in the
laboratory.
Fertility as a function of cage capacity is shown in
Figure 1. Fertility was significantly reduced by expansion of cage capacity in all four cross combinations. Fertility differed significantly among conspecific or interspecific crosses. In the interspecific crosses, C. nipponensis females × C. carnea males showed lower fertility
than C. carnea females × C. nipponensis males in cages
of all sizes. On the other hand, no significant sex-related
differences were found in conspecific crosses of either C.
carnea or C. nipponensis. The hybridization ratio
showed a similar pattern if adult density was reduced.
The results of this study suggest that the potential hybridization ratios of interspecific crosses are much lower
than those of conspecific crosses at all the tested adult
population densities. This suggests that mechanisms are
present that cause reproductive isolation between the two
species.
In Japan, C. carnea is recommended for use only in
greenhouses. The release of from 10 up to about 40 larvae per 1 m2 of greenhouse floor area is recommended in
the explanatory note supplied by Kagetaro®. If all the
released C. carnea larvae at the maximum density (40
individuals/m2) emerged in a standard greenhouse (5.4 m
100
Fertility (%)
80
60
40
20
0
110
245
916 1,832
10,851
Cage capacity (ml)
Fig. 1 Fertility (%) as a function of cage capacity.
Open circles, percentage of conspecific
crosses of C. carnea; solid circles, percentage
of conspecific crosses of C. nipponensis; open
squares, percentage of crosses of female C.
carnea × male C. nipponensis; solid squares,
percentage of crosses of female C. nipponensis × male C. carnea
40
× 10.0 m × 3.5 m high), the adult density would be 1.143
× 10–5 individuals/m3. This density is considerably lower
than that in the largest cage in our experiment (two individuals per 10 851 cm3, corresponding to 184.31 individuals/m3). Therefore, even if the indigenous C. nipponensis were released at the same density as C. carnea in
the greenhouse, the frequency of interspecific hybridization would be very low. There have been no field reports
of the establishment of C. carnea, or of natural hybrids
being produced between C. carnea and C. nipponensis in
Japan. However, we need to monitor the establishment of
C. carnea and any unexpected non-target effects in the
wild. (A. Mochizuki)
Topic 2: Factors affecting the flight activity of the
ragweed beetle Ophraella communa, an exotic insect
in Japan
The ragweed beetle Ophraella communa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which was originally distributed in
North America, was recently found in Japan (Takizawa
et al., 1999) and Taiwan (Wang and Chiang, 1998) in
1996 and in Korea in 2000 (Kwon et al., 2000). In Japan,
this exotic insect has rapidly expanded its distribution
since the first discovery and has been found in all prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa. This fact suggests that the beetle has a large potential for dispersal
and flight.
To investigate the factors affecting the flight activities of the beetle, we measured its flight time with a
flight measuring system (flight mills) under several conditions in the laboratory. The beetles exhibited low flight
activity at the age of 1 to 3 days post-eclosion. After 4
days their flight activity increased and then remained
high. The beetles reduced their flight activity at night,
although they flew both in the daytime and at night.
Flight activity was lower in adults reared under a 12:12
(L:D)-h photoperiod, which induced a reproductive diapause, than in those reared under a 16:8-h photoperiod.
This photoperiodic response could explain the seasonal
changes in flight activity: the fourth overwintering generation of adults displayed the lowest activity. During
these experiments, we found a large variation in flight
time among beetle individuals (Fig. 2). We performed
artificial selection on the beetles for several generations
on the basis of their flight times. Bidirectional selection
shifted the flight times in opposite directions and established two beetle lines, fliers and non-fliers. This result
shows that there is a genetic variation in the flight activity of this beetle and that fliers may contribute to the
observed rapid expansion of this distribution. (K. Tanaka)
40
40
2001
2003
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
0
0<
1< 10< 60< 120< 180< 240< 300<
Flight time (min)
0
0
0<
1< 10< 60< 120< 180< 240< 300<
Flight time (min)
Fig. 2 requency distributions of total flight time during a 23-h experimental period
in two lines (collected in 2001 and 2003) of Ophraella communa, as measured with a flight mill system.
3) Microbiology Group
The Microbiology Group aims to characterize microbial communities in agro-ecosystems and develop
technologies for the effective management of microbiological resources. The group consists of three research
units, Microbial Ecology, Microbial Genetics and Physiology, and Nematology and Soil Zoology.
The work is conducted on the following research
themes: 1) investigation of the effects of soil microorganisms on the population dynamics of sclerotiumforming fungi: 2) investigation of the effects of secondary metabolites from microorganisms and plants on the
multiplication of microorganisms; and 3) genus- or species-level analysis of soil nematode communities in and
around upland fields, and investigation of the biological
characteristics of entomopathogenic nematodes. The
following activities were completed in FY 2005.
The Microbial Ecology Unit is investigating the effects of soil microorganisms on the population dynamics
of sclerotium-forming fungi. In 2005, we focused on the
effects of soil fumigation on soil microbial community.
The process of community development after fumigation
was monitored by PCR-DGGE. A nested PCR method
was established for the specific amplification of ascomycetes, which are the main component of the soil fungal flora. The DGGE patterns revealed that ascomycetous fungi such as Alternaria, Trichoderma, and Penicillium became predominant after fumigation. Their activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae was then
studied in potted butterhead lettuce. Of 10 isolates, four
(including a reference antagonist) suppressed disease
severity, but these four isolates failed to minimize population increase of the pathogen in the soil. Their re-
sponses to several kinds of nutrients could not be characterized with Biosensor. Isolates of Trichoderma concomitantly obtained from Rosellinia necatrix mycelia
suppressed the severity of the disease cause by this fungus in Lupinus luteus planted in sterilized soil but failed
to do so in non-sterile soil.
The Microbial Genetics and Physiology Unit examined antagonistic activity against various plant parasitic fungi and bacteria.
To analyze the behavior of, and colonization by,
strains of fluorescent pseudomonad bacteria antagonistic
to Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, we generated
an antagonistic strain constitutively expressing a green
fluorescent protein (GFP) and investigated its behavior
in and on wheat seedlings and their roots. The antagonistic strain colonized the roots, but did not invade them.
Moreover, we investigated the population density of
Bradyrhizobium japonicum MA106 in soils inoculated
with the antagonistic strain to clarify the activity of the
strain. The antagonistic strain did not affect the density
of B. japonicum MA106. These methods and results
should be useful for analyzing and monitoring the behavior of microorganisms introduced into the
rhizosphere and soil.
To elucidate the true state of diversity of bacteria belonging to the family Rhizobiaceae, including Agrobacterium and Rhizobium species, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of a total of 69 strains belonging to, or
closely related to, the family Rhizobiaceae. We used the
dnaK, eno, pyrG, recA, and rpoD genes as markers. The
optimum evolutionary model and parameters were
searched by conducting a likelihood ratio test, and phylogenetic trees were constructed by using the distance,
41
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods
on the basis of a selected optimum condition (GTR+G+I).
In these trees, members of the genera Agrobacterium and
Rhizobium formed one extremely monophyletic cluster
together with Sinorhizobium and other species belonging
to the family Rhizobiaceae, Blastobacter species, and
pesticide-degrading bacteria. Within this cluster, no tendency of the species to be grouped by their own genera
was apparent. Thus, the species constituting the family
Rhizobiaceae are extremely closely related to one another, suggesting that subdivision of this family into
multiple genera is inappropriate.
The Nematology and Soil Zoology Unit compiled a
genus-level list of nematodes—some of which were
identified to species level—in a no-till manure-amended
field. The no-till field contained 61 genera of nematodes
and was characterized by genera such as Acrobeles,
Teratocephalus, Monhystrella, Plectus, Wilsonema, and
Bastiania, which are rare or absent in conventionally
tilled fields.
From our investigation of the biological characteristics of free-living soil nematodes, three new lines of
fungivorous dorylaimid nematodes belonging to genus
Tylencholaimus were established. Only Filenchus discrepans performed well on the Rosellinia necatrix fungal
mat; the other six genera, including Tylencholaimus
parvus and Aphelenchus avenae, showed little multiplication. No nematodes tested showed the ability to act as
vectors for fungal virus within R. necatrix.
Two cultures of bacteriophagous cephalobid nematodes were also established. The generation time of one
of these was measured, together with those of two rhabditid nematodes and a cephalobid.
The Microorganism Genebank project was implemented by the related laboratories; it acts as a sub-bank
for the MAFF Genebank system. The purposes of this
project are to collect and characterize microorganisms
such as plant-pathogenic microorganisms, biological
control agents, and plant-inhabiting microorganisms, and
then register them with the MAFF Genebank.
In 2005, 153 isolates, such as plant-pathogenic microorganisms and microorganisms isolated from rice
plants, were registered, including two different species
belonging to the genus Colletotricum, isolated from a
single symptomatic leaf of a hortensia plant. We evaluated a total of 972 properties (including morphology,
pathogenicity, physiological characteristics, and production of substances antibiotic to fungi or other organisms)
of 324 isolates of the MAFF Genebank. One hundred
bacterial isolates were grown on culture and transferred
to the MAFF Genebank as part of the active collection.
42
Topic : Application of ecological indices to the evaluation of nematode community changes after soil fumigation
Because nematode species differ in terms of food
type and life history traits, their community structures
reflect soil environmental conditions. To describe these
structures by a single value for the purposes of soil assessment, some weighted averagings have been developed, including the Maturity Index (MI) for physical and
chemical disturbances; the Structure Index (SI) for ecosystem development; the Enrichment Index (EI) for nutritional status; and the Channel Index (CI) for the characterization of decomposition pathways. We examined
whether these indices, together with general diversity
indices, were good descriptors of nematode community
change after soil fumigation. Nematode population densities and family-level faunal compositions were investigated for 5 months after chloropicrin fumigation of
soybean fields. After the chemical treatment, the dominant nematode family changed from an extremely
r-strategic bacterial feeder to another bacterial feeder,
and in every feeding group K-strategists were barely
detected. In the non-fumigated control plots the extreme
r-strategists still predominated, but the numbers of
K-strategists also increased gradually with time. Among
the ecological indices examined, MI, EI and SI described
these structural changes in the nematode communities
(Fig. 1). However, the replacement of extremely r- strategic bacterial feeders with another bacterial feeder in the
plots required careful interpretation of MI, because the
value of this index was considered lower in disturbed
soils. SI was considered a more valid index than the others in evaluating appropriately the ecological status of
nematode communities after chemical disturbance: SI
values remained low even 170 days after fumigation,
indicating that the nematode community had not recovered. (H. Okada)
4) GMO Assessment Team
The missions of the GMO Assessment Team are: 1)
to clarify the ecological impact of GMOs (genetically
modified organisms); 2) to develop standards of risk assessment for GMOs; and 3) to collect basic information
and documents relating to GM and conventional crops.
The major results of our research projects in regard to 1)
and 2) are described as follows.
1) We have been monitoring the distribution and weediness of GM canola (Brassica napus) around the Kashima
Seaport, which is one of the ports in Japan where canola
seeds are unloaded. We have also conducted further investigations into the transfer of introduced herbicide-tolerant genes to relatives of B. napus growing in
the area. This study assessed the ecological effects of
feral canola, including herbicide-tolerant GM plants
(glyphosate- and/or glufosinate-tolerant), by focusing on
their ability to become established in various habitats.
Feral canola populations were found in three types of
habitat, each of which varied with respect to soil depth,
population spread (linear, planar, or isolated), and vegetation cover. These habitats were disturbed land and the
ridges between paddy fields (Type 1); road islands and
the areas beneath trees along sidewalks (Type 2); and
spaces between the paving on curbs and sidewalks (Type
3) (Fig. 2). Canola plants of various sizes were found
throughout the year in Type 1 habitat, whereas few plants
2.5
120
MI
2
*
*
*
were found at any time of the year in Type 2 habitat.
Fluctuations in the distribution of canola populations
were very high in Type 3 habitat because of frequent
disturbance due to weed and mud removal. No differences in habitat preference were detected between GM
and non-GM canola because the total number of plants
and the proportion of GM to non-GM canola in mixed
populations exhibited differences in each of the habitats.
We postulated that the population dynamics of both GM
and non-GM canola were more highly dependent upon
habitat and ecological conditions than differences in herbicide tolerance.
2) There will be two concerns if GM soybean is to be
70
EI
60
100
50
80
1.5
40
60
*
1
40
10
0
0
-1 20
59
123
Days
172
30
20
20
0.5
SI
*
*
0
-1 20
59
Days
123
172
-1 20
59
123
Days
172
Fig. 1 Changes in Maturity Index (MI) (left), Enrichment Index (EI) (middle), and Structure Index (SI) (right)
after fumigation of soil with chloropicrin. White and black squares are non-fumigated and fumigated
plots, respectively. Horizontal axes indicate days after fumigation (–1 is 1 day before treatment) and
vertical axes show index values. Vertical bars are standard errors of three replicates. Index values of
fumigated plots with * were significantly different from non-fumigated plots on the same survey date
(t-test, P < 0.05).
Type 1
(21, April, 2004)
Type 2
Type 3
(21, April, 2004)
(13, June, 2004)
Fig. 2 The three types of habitat of Brassica napus around Kashima Port.
43
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
cultivated commercially and widely in Japan. One is the
pollen-mediated dispersal of transgenes from GM soybeans to conventional (non-GM) soybeans in neighboring fields. Another is the gene flow from GM soybeans
to wild soybeans (Glycine soja). Wild soybean is the
ancestor of the conventional soybean in East Asia: both
species have the same number of chromosomes, and
there is no barrier to crosses between the two species.
However, rates of spontaneous hybridization among
conventional soybeans and between cultivated and wild
soybean are expected to be very low because they are
predominantly self-pollinating species. From 2001 to
2004, we evaluated the outcrossing rate between GM and
non-GM soybeans in relation to their distances apart
under field conditions. We cultivated glyphosate-tolerant
GM soybeans as pollen donors and conventional soybeans (non-GM) as pollen recipients (Fig. 3). A total of
107 846 progeny harvested from conventional soybeans
over a 4-year period were screened for glyphosate herbicide tolerance. The highest outcrossing rates—0.19% in
2001 and 0.16% in 2002—were found 0.7 m from the
pollen donors. The highest rate in 2004 was 0.052%,
found at 2.1 m. The farthest distances from pollen donors
at which hybrid progeny were found were 7 m in 2001,
2.8 m in 2002, and 3.5 m in 2004. Over the 4-year period
no hybrid progeny were found in the rows 10.5 m from
the pollen donors. (K. Matsuo)
Fig. 3 Field arrangement of GM soybean and non-GM soybean.
44
Department of Environmental Chemistry
Year-round production of large quantities of
high-quality agricultural products is associated with repeated heavy loading of farmland with fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock wastes. This, in turn, leads to air,
water, and soil pollution with substances such as pesticides, nitrates, and heavy metals. With increasing combustion of refuse, lethal dioxins are being released to the
environment. The Department of Environmental Chemistry has a mandate for food security and ecosystem conservation against a number of farm chemicals from the
three broad standpoints of “Risk Assessment”, “Risk
Reduction”, and “Environmental Remediation”.
The Department consists of three research groups
and one team corresponding to the chemicals targeted,
namely: 1) a group researching organic chemical compounds, such as farm chemicals; 2) a group researching
heavy metals (in particular, cadmium); 3) a group researching nutritional salts such as nitrogen and phosphate; and 4) the Dioxin Research Team. Each group,
which is led by a group leader, has several research units.
The major research fields of each group are described
below.
Organochemicals Group: Pesticides play vital roles
in food security and will remain indispensable unless
more effective and less risky replacements can be developed. There is much concern about the eco-toxicity of
pesticides in air, water, and soil from farmlands. This
group is responsible mainly for the development of innovative and sophisticated technologies for studying the
influence of pesticides on the environment and decreasing the amounts of chemicals used. Major research topics
are: 1) the dynamics of pesticides in soils, water, and the
atmosphere; 2) risk assessment of pesticides in aquatic
creatures such as algae, aquatic midges, and medaka fish;
3) development of environmentally friendly crop protection systems; and 4) development of technologies for the
bioremediation of recalcitrant organic compounds,
through a) molecular genetics and genetic diversification
of bacteria that degrade chlorobenzoates, PCBs, and
2,4-D, b) in situ bioremediation of soils contaminated
with recalcitrant organic compounds, and c) risk assessment of recombinant bacteria.
Heavy Metal Group: The Codex Committee established jointly by FAO and WHO has set up a new international safety standard for cadmium in foods to minimize its human intake. Under such circumstances, it is a
matter of urgency that we elucidate the behavior of
heavy metals in soils and the mechanism of their absorption by crops, and that we develop technologies to suppress hazardous metal absorption by crops. The Heavy
Metal Group has three ongoing research projects: 1)
evaluation of heavy metal loadings in arable soils and
elucidation of the mechanisms of heavy metal absorption
by crops; 2) elucidation of the chemical forms of heavy
metals in soils and development of a technology for suppressing the absorption of these metals by crops; and 3)
determination of the differences in abilities of various
staple crops to absorb heavy metals.
Water Quality and Solute Dynamics Group: Recently, public concern has risen over the contamination
of various river basins and lakes by nutrient solutes such
as nitrate nitrogen and phosphate. Since the 1999 implementation of new regulations against NO3-N and
NO2-N contamination, a number of agricultural activities
have been placed under strict surveillance to ensure that
NO3-N and NO2-N levels in groundwater do not exceed
the critical concentration of 10 ppm. There is an urgent
need to formulate an effective solution to this problem.
There are three ongoing projects in this group: 1) study
of the dynamics of nitrate nitrogen and other nutrient
solutes in soils and small and medium-sized watersheds;
2) development of methods for monitoring levels of nutrient solutes in medium-sized river basins; and 3)
evaluation of methods for enhancing the denitrification
capabilities of natural mass flows, and development of a
technology for alleviating negative loadings of nutrient
solutes.
Dioxin Dynamics Team: Contamination of agricultural products with dioxins has become a serious concern
for both consumers and producers. There is an urgent
need for the production of dioxin-free agricultural products. In this regard, the team has two ongoing projects:
1) study of the dynamics of dioxins in crops and farmland; and 2) development of technologies for the physico-chemical and biological decomposition of dioxins.
1) Organochemicals Group
The missions of this group are to assess and reduce
the environmental risk caused by application of pesticides and residual persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in
agro-ecosystems and to develop bioremediation techniques to restore environments contaminated with recalcitrant organic chemicals.
In FY 2005, the group studied the following major
research subjects: 1) risk assessment of pesticides in
aquatic organisms; 2) multimedia modeling to predict the
fate of POPs; 3) mechanism of induction of systemic
acquired resistance in plants by some organic chemicals;
4) molecular genetics and molecular ecology of bacteria
that degrade chlorobenzoates and 2,4-D in soils; and 5)
45
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
in situ bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated soil by
using charcoal enriched with degrading bacterial consortia.
Eighteen original research papers were published this
FY. In September 2005, the group organized the Fifth
Seminar on Organic Chemical Studies: Mathematical
Models for Prediction of the Behavior of POPs and Pesticides—Development Status and Future Prospects—and
the 22nd Research Meeting on Pesticides: Multiple
Residue Analysis of Pesticides—Demand Trends and
Method Development—.
The Environmental Pesticide Assessment Unit improved a system for the indoor breeding of the caddisfly
(Cheumatopsyche brevilineata) and developed acute
toxicity tests to assess the effects of pesticides on aquatic
invertebrates in inland water ecosystems. The caddisfly
was selected as an insect representative of those in Japanese rivers—that is, as a key species. We also developed
an acute toxicity test that uses native colonies of algae
such as diatoms, instead of individual algal species
(Topic 1). Diatoms, as well as caddisfly, are representative species in Japanese rivers. For POPs, we are developing a prototype mathematical Multi-Media Model to
simulate pesticide behavior in the environment and thus
clarify how POPs are emitted and diffused from Asian
regions. In addition, we developed a device for detecting
pesticide droplets by wind tunnel and laser particle spectrometer.
The Pesticide Mitigation Unit clarified the whole
scheme of the mode of action of an alternative chemical—a resistance inducer or “plant vaccine”—for the
control of fungal plant diseases. Cucumber and Japanese
pear plants were pretreated with acibenzolar-S-methyl
(ASM), a plant vaccine, and several genes and proteins
closely related to the action of this chemical were found
and selected as markers for detection of resistance induction. In addition, screening tests were conducted with
many kinds of plant extract, and some extracts showed
activity of disease suppression. A PCR-Luminex system
was successfully developed to identify the Fusarium and
related species that cause head blight on cereals. Furthermore, resistance to strobilurin fungicides was successfully detected by gene diagnosis, and resistance to
melanin biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicides was also effectively detected by the PCR-Luminex system. We also
used small interfering RNA (siRNA) in an effort to determine the effects of a gene related to sex change in
cotton aphids.
The Applied Soil Microbiology Unit clarified the
mechanisms regulating the expression of the chlorobenzoate- and 2,4-D-degradative genes of bacteria isolated
from various soils. We found that 2,4-D-decomposing
46
bacteria were classified into three groups in which the
genes were located on mega-plasmids. (See Research
Highlights: “2,4-D-degrading genes harbored on
mega-plasmids in 2,4-D-degrading bacteria isolated from
paddy fields”.) As part of our research on chlorobenzoate
degradative genes, we revealed from analyses of the
chimeric mutants of chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenases
that several amino acid residues were responsible for the
differences in substrate specificities among these enzymes. We tested the application of the “biopanning”
method of affinity selection among soil DNA libraries. A
3-chlorobenzoate (3CB)-degrading gene was used as the
target and was detected by a culture-independent method,
PCR-DGGE. Furthermore, we developed triazine herbicide-decomposing bacterial consortia, which were composed of Pseudomonas spp. and Rhodococcus spp. The
consortia completely decomposed Cl- and SCH3-triazine
(Topic 2). In addition, in situ bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated soil by using bacterial consortia that
decomposed both quintozene (PCNB) and simazine in
charcoal was conducted, and the consortia were still present and active 3 months after their incorporation into the
soil.
Topic 1: Easy detection of herbicide susceptibility of
diatoms from the rate of growth of their native colonies
Japan’s current pesticide registration system requires
us to perform a set of acute toxicity examinations in
three organisms—fish, water fleas, and green algae—to
assess the ecotoxicity of a pesticide in inland water ecosystems. Only a single species of green alga is used, but
there are many algal species and many other primary
producers in inland water systems. We need to speculate
the ecotoxicity of herbicides using each acute toxicity
data of plural algal species This is a time-consuming
procedure that requires a high degree of technical skill.
The objective of this study was to develop a method for
easy detection of the herbicide susceptibility of native
colonies of diatoms, which are the dominant producer
organisms in our rivers.
Native colonies on rocks in rivers and from paddy
soils were collected and directly cultivated without isolation of single species. We were thus able to conduct
acute toxicity testing within 1 to 2 weeks, instead of 1 to
2 months for the conventional method (Fig. 1). Diatom
growth was measured by absorbance of chlorophyll a,
and growth inhibition was calculated between 24 and 96
h after application of the herbicide (Fig. 2). A good correlation was observed in the 50% effective concentration
(EC50) values of dimethametryn between the native colonies and the cumulative values of isolated single species.
（Individuals）
collect　isolation and culture of strain
susceptibility test
（1 day）　（1 to 2 months）　（4 days） （Paddy） （River）
Conventional
collect　susceptibility test
Newly developed
（Native colony）
（1 day）　（4 days） collect　pre-culture　susceptibility test
（1 day）　（10 days） （4 days）　Fig. 1 Comparison of the times taken for herbicide susceptibility testing by using the conventional method and the newly developed colony method.
120
% Inhibition
100
80
60
40
20
24-96h
EC50
（49μg/L）
24-96h
EC50
（4.2μg/L）
0
-20
0.1
1
10
100
Herbicide (dimethametryn) concentration
1000
(µg/L)
○：Upper stream　●：Middle stream
EC50 is 50% effective concentration
Fig. 2 Comparison of acute toxicity of dimethametryn to native diatom colonies
in upper and middle reaches of
streams
This newly developed method can be widely utilized in
the ecotoxicological assessment of producers in Japanese
rivers. (S. Ishihara)
Topic 2: Bacterial consortia completely degrading
chloro- and methylthio- substituted s-triazine herbicides
Pesticides are useful tools for the control of pests on
arable land, and usually several types are applied to the
same field over a crop’s growing season. However, once
the pesticides run off or drain from the field, they may
adversely affect the environment. None of the currently
known bioremediation technologies can completely degrade all of different organic chemicals that can contaminate soils. The objectives of this study were to isolate methylthio-substituted s-triazine-degrading bacteria
and to develop bacterial consortia that would completely
degrade both this triazine and chloro-triazines.
CDB21, a proteobacterial strain previously isolated
from simazine degrading bacterial consortium (CD7) in
our laboratory, can degrade and mineralize chloro- triazine herbicides (e.g., simazine). However, it cannot degrade methylthio-triazine herbicides (e.g., simetryn). A
bacterial strain (FJ1117YT, Rhodococcus spp.) was isolated from soil samples specially equipped with a water
flow-back system. This strain could degrade methylthio-triazines but not chloro-triazines. We then constructed a charcoal material containing CDB21 or CD7
in combination with FJ1117YT. The bacterial consortia
could almost completely degrade chloro- and methylthio- substituted s-triazine herbicides (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4).
Consequently, we will be able to minimize triazine contamination of the subsoil, river water, and groundwater.
(K. Takagi)
2) Heavy Metal Group
The mission of the Heavy Metal Research Group is
to elucidate the input–output balance of heavy metals
such as cadmium in arable soils and to clarify the
mechanisms by which these metals are absorbed and
translocated by crops.
In FY 2005, the group studied the following major
topics: 1) phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd)- contaminated paddy fields by a special rice variety; 2) behavior
of heavy metals in the environment (Topic 1); 3) remediation of Cd-contaminated paddy soil by washing with
chemicals; 4) translocation characteristics of Cd absorbed by soybean; 5) screening of soybean varieties for
low Cd uptake and low accumulation in grains; 6)
mechanisms of absorption and translocation of Cd in
low-Cd-absorbing varieties of rice and soybean; 7)
evaluation of heavy metal loading of arable soils by fertilizers; and 8) simplification of a method of Cd analysis
(Topic 2) .
47
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Fig. 3 Estimated metabolic pathways of chloro- and methylthio-s-triazines by strains CDB21 and FJ1117YT.
%
A. Simazine
B. Simetryn
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
0
3
6
9
Time (days)
12
15
0
3
6
9
Time (days)
12
15
Fig. 4 Simultaneous degradation of (A) simazine and (B) simetryn by Charcoal A enriched with
CD7 and FJ1117YT (▲), CDB21 and FJ1117YT (■), or CD7 (●). White circles (○) are the
un-inoculated control. Vertical axis is the concentration of each compound in the medium
as a percentage of the initial value (ca. 5 mg/L).
Topic 1: Mobility of water-soluble cadmium and copper
in soils
Heavy metals are present in soils in various chemical
forms, but among those forms, water-soluble heavy metals have a large environmental impact owing to processes such as absorption by plants and movement into
the groundwater and river waters. The dynamic behavior
by which heavy metals can move from the lower soil
layers to the surface layer as a result of water evaporation is unclear. Therefore, this research was aimed at
developing an experimental method for investigating the
dynamics of water-soluble heavy metals in soil.
48
A plastic container (width 5cm,height 4cm, length
20cm ) inclined at an angle of 30° from horizontal was
filled with 170 g of an air-dried light-colored Andosol
(Fig. 1). Water was added to make up 70% of the container’s maximum water-holding capacity. Every 24 h,
the weight of the container was measured, and water was
supplied to compensate for the water lost by evaporation.
After we had supplied approximately 1 L of water over
50 days, the soil was air-dried in the container, and 1 g of
soil was sampled from each of 10 points on the surface
(Fig. 1 ①–⑩). The water-soluble cadmium (Cd) and
copper (Cu) concentrations in these soils were analyzed
by atomic absorption spectrometry.
Figure 2 shows the water-soluble Cd and Cu concentrations of the soils at each sampling point (Fig. 1. ①–
⑩ ) after the water had been evaporated. The water-soluble Cd concentration at the uppermost point, ⑩,
was 68.5 times higher than that at ①, whereas the copper concentration at ⑩ was 6.0 times higher than that at
①. The water-soluble heavy metal concentration in the
surface soil at intermediate points ②–⑨ of the incline
gradually increased from the bottom to the top of the
incline.
Such a different concentration gradation between
water-soluble Cd and Cu may be caused by the difference in their mobility. The main chemical form of Cd in
soil is divalent cations. Water-soluble Cd easily migrates
through soil with water movement. On the other hand,
Cu tends to bind with organic compounds such as organic acids. Therefore, Cu may be fixed by binding with
insoluble organic substances in the soil, such as humic
acid. This may cause its slow mobility. Although accu-
①- ⑩ Soil collection point
Vaporization of water
Plastic cover
Water supply
⑧
⑥
point
⑨
⑩
⑦
⑤
④
③
②
Soil
①
Soil solution
30°
Fig. 1 Container used in the experiment to move water-soluble heavy metals to
the soil surface layer by evaporation of water.
350
Concentration of soluble heavy metals in
extract from
form topsoil(ng/mL)
Cd
300
Cu
250
200
150
100
50
0
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
Topsoil collection point
⑧
⑨
⑩
Fig. 2 Accumulation of water-soluble heavy metals due to evaporation of water from soil.
49
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
mulation of salts at the soil surface due to evaporation is
often observed and causes inhibition of crop growth, the
accumulation of soluble heavy metals in soil due to
evaporation was presented for the first time in this study.
Our results suggest a possible way of removing water-soluble heavy metals from contaminated soils. Water-soluble heavy metals can be made to move to the soil
surface by applying water to the soil and then evaporating the water; the surface soil containing the heavy metals that have migrated from the whole soil can then be
removed. (Y. Sakurai)
Topic 2: A simplified method for determining cadmium
concentrations in brown rice by immunochromatographic assay
We examined the use of a kit for simply and quickly
determining Cd concentrations in brown rice by immunochromatographic assay. This kit, which is of the
test-paper type and manufactured by the Kansai Electric
Power Co. Inc., uses the antigen–antibody complex reaction between the Cd–EDTA complex and an
anti-Cd–EDTA antibody that reacts specifically with this
complex to detect Cd concentrations of 0.01 mg L–1 or
higher. The results are shown in terms of the degree of
color developed on the test paper. Immunochromatographic assays, a familiar example of which is the
pregnancy test, are used mainly for qualitative analyses
to determine whether or not a particular substance (the
analyte) is present above a certain level. Because the
antigen–antibody complex reaction occurs quantitatively,
it should be possible to determine the degree of color
development by using a color-reading device and thereby
to estimate the concentration of the analyte by comparing the color developed with that produced by a standardized reference solution.
Figure 3 shows the principle of immunochroma-
Antigen-antibody reaction
Y+ =Y
Anti-Cd
antibody
Antigen
(Cd+EDTA)
Antigenantibody
complex
Y
： Anti-Cd antibody
： Label for visual color
identification (gold colloid)
① Drop the reaction solution at the start
point.
Y Y
Y Y
Solution flowMeasurement line
↓ Immobilized antigen
Me mbrane
② The solution flows by capillary action.
Y YY
Y
③ Antibody unlinked with antigen is captured by the
antigen fixed on the line, but antigen-antibody complex
passes through.
Y Y
Light color
Y
Y
Deep color
Cd concentration in the
Cd concentration in the
sample is low.
sample is high.
Fig. 3 Principle of immunochromatography for measuring Cd concentrations.
50
tography applied to the detection of Cd. An
anti-Cd–EDTA monoclonal antibody, obtained from
mice immunized with Cd–EDTA, is labeled with gold
colloid to make it visible to the naked eye. When EDTA
and anti-Cd–EDTA antibody are added to a sample that
contains an unknown amount of Cd, a Cd–EDTA complex is formed and binds to the anti-Cd–EDTA antibody
to form an antigen–antibody complex. The amount of
this complex that is formed is proportional to the amount
of Cd in the original sample.
The test apparatus consists of a nitrocellulose chromatography paper fixed to a plastic frame. A thin line of
Cd–EDTA antigen is fixed to the measurement line on
the paper. When the reaction liquid is dripped onto the
end of the paper, the liquid penetrates the paper and
spreads toward the measurement line by capillary action.
When it reaches the measurement line, antibody not
linked to the antigen binds to the antigen fixed to the line
and is captured by the line. Antibody that is already captured in the antigen–antibody complex will, however, not
be captured by the measurement line but will pass
through it. If large amounts of Cd are present in the
measurement sample, much of the antibody will have
bonded to the antigen to form the antigen–antibody
complex, and only a small amount of unreacted antibody
will be captured on the measurement line, resulting in a
light color. On the other hand, if the sample contains
little Cd, then a large amount of antibody will be captured, resulting in a deep (red) color.
The dependence of the color readings on the Cd
concentration follows a sigmoidal curve, as is usual for
antigen–antibody reactions. Also, in the Cd concentration range 0.01 to 0.1 mg L–1, a good linear relationship
was observed between the logarithm values of Cd concentration and the color readings.
The Cd concentration in a solution of brown rice extract was estimated from the analytical curve obtained by
sigmoidal approximation of the measured values for the
reference liquid and also from the analytical curve obtained by an exponential approximation for Cd concentrations in the range 0.01 to 0.1 mg L–1. The averages of
three values for each estimation method were plotted
against the Cd concentration measured by flameless
atomic absorption spectroscopy. Both the sigmoidal approximation and the exponential approximation were
well correlated with the known concentration, and the
slope of the regression expression was approximately 1
in both cases.
Immunochromatography readings were made on a
solution containing Cd extracted selectively from a sample of brown rice. The Cd concentrations calculated by
using an exponential analytical curve were generally
well correlated with the value obtained by analysis of the
same brown rice sample by acid decomposition and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The slope
was approximately 1. Despite yielding a slightly high
coefficient of variation, this method is considered to be
suitable for the determination of approximate Cd concentrations in brown rice at locations where facilities for
acid decomposition and precision analysis are not available. (K. Abe)
3) Water Quality and Solute Dynamics Group
The mission of the Water Quality and Solute Dynamics Group is to clarify the dynamics of solutes such
as nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) passing through arable lands
to water bodies; to develop technologies to monitor
loadings of NO3-N and other pollutants; and to reduce
these loads on the environment. We have four ongoing
projects: 1) elucidation of the mechanisms of solute
movement through the soil and belowground; 2) development of monitoring methods for NO3-N and other
pollutants in medium-sized river basins; 3) development
of a technology for alleviating the agricultural nitrogen
load on the environment by enhancing denitrification;
and 4) construction of a model adaptable to medium-sized river basins for prediction of nitrogen load
and effluent. In FY 2005, we found that the concentration of suspended solids in water samples from a medium-scale river differs little among collection positions
(see Topic).
Topic: Evaluation of variations in the concentration of
suspended solids in water samples collected from different points in a medium-scale river
The outflow of suspended solids (SS) from farmland
to water bodies occurs intensively in a short period of
time when heavy rain causes soil erosion or flooding and
when paddy fields are drained after soil paddling. The SS
generated intensively in heavy rainfall events are likely
to be distributed inhomogeneously in flowing water, and
hence the usual way of sampling for periodic monitoring—sampling and mixing of water from a number of
positions per one location—may be inapplicable in such
events. We therefore elucidated the characteristics of SS
concentration, such as variation and mean value, in a
medium-scale river flowing through an agricultural area.
Our analysis was based on the values of SS concentration obtained by hydrologic measurement with partial
sampling across the river when the flowing water had
become turbid just after heavy rain.
In the Sakura River, which flows through the city of
Tsukuba, we conducted hydrologic measurements at four
downstream locations: the Nihongi Bridge, the Kabaho
51
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Bridge, the Hanawaze-Shin Bridge, and the Kimijima
Bridge. The river width ranged from 9.0 m to 25.2 m,
and the water depth changed from 0.4 m (normal) to 5 m
(flooded). By partial sampling in a vertical direction (by
dividing the water depth into a maximum of three sections) along a cross section of the river, we found a linear
relationship (1:1) between the SS concentration in the
surface layer and that in the bottom layer. The SS were
distributed almost homogeneously, regardless of the collection position (Fig. 1). By the same sampling method,
we found similar linear relationships for both total nitrogen and total phosphorous in the surface and bottom layers, although there was a slightly larger variation among
sites than in the case of SS.
Bottom SS concentration g／Ｌ
0.5
y=1.02x
R2=0.98
0.4
0.3
Kimishima Br.
Hanawaze Br.
Nihongi Br.
Kabaho Br.
Regression eq.
0.2
0.1
Water was sampled across the river in several positions at intervals of 2 to 4 m from the riverbank. The
relationship between distance from the bank and SS
concentration is shown in Figure 2. Computation of the
mean and the coefficient of variation (CV) of every hydrologic measurement of turbid water revealed that the
CV was 10% on average, and most values were less than
15% (Fig. 3). The SS concentration was thus estimated
within less than ±15% of the mean concentration whenever water was sampled in an arbitrary position across
the river. In conclusion, the SS concentrations of a medium-scale river during periods of heavy rainfall can be
represented adequately by the values obtained in the
usual way by sampling for periodic monitoring (i.e., by
sampling and mixing of water from a number of positions per one location).
These results can be used to select a position for the
installation of water-sampling equipment in a medium-scale river that is defined as class 1 river under the
supervision of local government and have a surface area
of more than 100 km2. The observed flow velocity in the
Sakura River ranges from 0.25 to 2.0 m/s; hence the flow
velocities to which these results can be applied are
within this range. (K. Banzai)
40
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Surface SS concentration ｇ／Ｌ
0.5
Fig. 1 Relationship between SS concentrations in the
surface bottom layers at the four sampling
sites.
2003/8/27
〃 9/22
〃 11/25
SS concentration ｇ／Ｌ
0.6
0.5
Average value
〃 10/22
Coefficient of variation ％
0
Coefficient of
variation 15%
30
20
10
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Average SS concentration　g/L
Fig. 3 Relationship between average SS concentration and the coefficient of variation for every
hydrologic measurement made in the Sakura
River.
0.4
0.3
0.2
4) Dioxin Dynamics Team
0.1
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Distance from left bank m
Fig. 2 Relationship between distance from the bank
and SS concentration at the Hanawaze-Shin
Bridge.
52
The mission of the Dioxin Dynamics Team is to elucidate dioxin dynamics in the agro-environment and to
develop technologies to remediate dioxin-contaminated
soils. In FY 2005, the following research was conducted:
1) prediction of dioxin contamination patterns in crops
(Topic 1); 2) analysis of temporal changes in the concentrations of dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) accumulated in Japanese paddy soils to elucidate
the pollutant sources; and 3) analysis of the accumulation and behavior of dioxins in arable land in Japan and
Korea.
Topic: Prediction of dioxin contamination of crops
from atmospheric dioxins
So far, from analyses of the congener compositions
of dioxins and dioxin concentrations, we have determined that the main source of dioxin contamination in
crops is not soil dioxins but atmospheric ones (NIAES
Annual Report 2003, 2002 Highlights). Atmospheric
dioxins are composed of gaseous and atmospheric particle fractions. To clarify the contribution of each fraction
of these atmospheric dioxins, we measured the dioxin
concentrations in field-grown rice plants and, simultaneously, in gaseous and atmospheric particle fractions.
Principal component analysis revealed that the dioxin
composition and concentrations in rice were far from
those in soil and located between those in the gaseous
and atmospheric particle fractions. During the crop
growth phase the dioxin composition in rice approached
that of the gaseous fraction. This suggests that the dioxin
composition and concentrations in crops may be regulated by gaseous-fraction dioxins in the atmosphere.
We analyzed the dioxins in corn grown in the field
and in a growth cabinet, as well as the gaseous-fraction
dioxins in the surrounding air. The composition and
concentrations of gaseous-fraction dioxins differed
among all three measurement types. The concentration of
each dioxin congener in corn as a ratio of that in the surrounding air was logarithmically closely correlated with
its octanol–air distribution coefficient (KOA). On the basis of this relationship, we developed a prediction equation that can predict the concentration of dioxin in corn,
in toxic equivalents (TEQs), from the concentration of
dioxins in the gaseous fraction of the surrounding air.
This equation was able to accurately predict the concentrations in corn grown under relatively high atmospheric
dioxin concentrations. (R. Uegaki, N. Seike and T. Otani)
53
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Natural Resources Inventory Center
The mission of the Natural Resources Inventory
Center is: 1) to perform fundamental research on the
classification, identification, characteristics, and functions of agro-environmental resources such as soils, insects, and microorganisms; 2) to promote and support
research through the collection, preservation, exhibition,
lending, and donation of specimens and samples; 3) to
store agricultural environment information in databases
and develop inventory systems that can be accessed with
the aid of tools such as the Internet; and 4) together with
related research groups, to collect and evaluate microbial
and insect genetic resources as a sub-bank under the
MAFF GeneBank Project. The Natural Resources Inventory Center has three laboratories: Soil Classification,
including the Soil Museum; Insect Systematics, including the Insect Museum; and Microbial Systematics, including the Microbe Museum. As part of the mid-term
research plan of NIAES formulated in FY 2001, these
laboratories have carried out the following research: 1)
classification and elucidation of the functions of soils
and development of a framework for the soil inventory;
2) construction of a database for type specimens of insects and development of a framework for the insect inventory; 3) classification and identification of microorganisms co-inhabiting healthy plants, analysis of their
functions, and development of a framework for their
inventory; and 4) collection and evaluation of insects and
microorganisms as genetic resources under the MAFF
GeneBank Project.
Major topics in 2005–2006 are described in the following Topics and in the “Web database of the ‘Mitsuhashi Note’, a bibliography of Japanese Insects”, in the
Highlights on page 10.
Topic 1: Prototype information system for a natural
resources inventory
We developed a prototype information system for a
natural resources inventory in order to unify and manipulate diverse pieces of information about the agricultural environment. By using a GIS as a platform, the
prototype system combines and illustrates databases of
information about specimens of soil, insects, and microbes. In the prototype system we have adopted G-XML
to make it easy to circulate the contents of geographic
information mutually among other GIS systems. G-XML
is not only the international standard for geographic information protocols; it is also used domestically as a
standard by JIS (Japan Industrial Standards). Since the
system uses WebGIS (a technology by which the GIS
function acts as a Web server), it can be used through the
Internet without special software. In the prototype system, a general user can search and peruse mapped information about a soil sample, an insect, or a microbe (Fig.
1). Administrators can register and edit the data.
(Y. Ueda)
Fig. 1 Example of a screen from the prototype natural resources inventory.
54
Topic 2: Manual for mapping zones of heavy metal
contamination risk
With the rising social interest in food safety, demand
for information about heavy metal concentrations in
crops is increasing. If soil qualities could be used to predict the concentrations of heavy metals in crops, then the
interpretation of these soil qualities would give us useful
soil and crop management guidance to minimize human
ingestion of heavy metals. On the basis of numerous
research results focusing on the relationship between soil
qualities and heavy metal concentrations in crops, we
used GIS to develop maps of vulnerability to heavy
metal contamination in crops. Because of the complicated procedure required to produce such maps, as the
operation of GIS became easier we were able to prepare
manuals for map generation.
The basic relationship between soil characteristics
and heavy metal concentrations in crops follows the
zoning of cadmium pollution risk. Class maps of cadmium pollution of soybean is produced by calculating
risk level in each soil map unit.
Soil maps of arable land, topographic maps
(1:50,000), soil quality attributes (soil cadmium concentration as detected by extraction in 0.1 M hydrochloric
acid, phosphate absorption coefficient, and pH(H2O)),
and the zoning equations are essential to produce the
map. The estimated risk level in each soil series is obtained by the zoning equation, using the values of the
soil quality attributes.
The zoning map is made by GIS from the
above-mentioned data. The soil series mapping units are
overlaid on the topographical map to estimate the risk of
heavy metal contamination in each area (Fig. 2). Because
operation procedures differ among the several common
GIS software packages on the market, we have prepared
detailed manuals for both ArcView and MapInfo. These
manuals are available online in Japanese (http://soilgc.
job.affrc.go.jp). A database table of the contamination
risk level of each soil series should be made before mapping is done. (M. Nakai)
Topic 3: Construction of an inventory of dried plant
specimens of microbe donated during 130 years, and
exhibition on the Web
An index of 7204 dried plant specimens of microbes-infected plants that have been kept in the Microbe
Museum at our institute since 1876 has been constructed
and is exhibited on the web site in Japanese (http://www.
niaes.affrc.go.jp/inventry/microorg/specimen/index.html).
The index contains fungi (365 genera, 1477 species) and
host plants (621 genera, 1322 species). This index also
comprises of 6611 dried plant specimens of microbeinfected plant (Fig. 3) and 593 special collections—i.e., a
type specimen collection (46 specimens), Sydow’s collection (254 specimens, Fig. 4), Hino’s collection (196
specimens), and a collection of mushrooms (97 specimens). The index can be searched by using key words
such as ‘microorganism’s scientific name’, ‘synonym’,
Fig. 3 Dried specimens of plants infected
with microbes.
Fig. 2 Risk-zoning maps for heavy metal contamination
55
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
Fig. 4 Microbial specimens collected by Dr. P. Sydow.
‘name of disease in host plant’, ‘Japanese name of host
plant’, ‘scientific name of host plant’, ‘name of original
location’ and ‘date of collection’. Almost all of the dried
plant specimens of microbe-infected plants (6611 specimens) were collected in Japan; they include seven
specimens collected by Dr. Tomitaro Makino, one of the
pioneers of Japanese botany. The type specimen collec-
56
tion contains 13 holotype specimens and 2 isotype
specimens. Sydow’s collection contains mainly specimens of rust and smut collected in Europe by Dr. P. Sydow and Dr. N. G. Lagerheim, mycologists of worldwide
renown, and Hino’s collection contains specimens collected in Brazil by Dr. T. Hino, a plant pathologist. (S.
Tsushima and M. Koitabashi)
Chemical Analysis Research Center
The Chemical Analysis Research Center has been
developing new methods for analyzing environmental
chemicals and determining their fate in plants, water, and
soil.
The Environmental Chemicals Analysis Laboratory
is developing a method for analyzing organoarsenic
compounds and is studying the fate of organoarsenics
such as diphenyl methyl arsenic oxide, diphenylarsinic
acid, and phenylarsonic acid in rice and paddy fields
(Topic 1). This laboratory has developed a new laser
ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
(LA-ICP-MS) method for determining metals in fish
statoliths. Additionally, staff of this laboratory have developed a convenient gel-permeation chromatography
method for effectively removing waxes and lipids from
plant and meat samples before dioxin analysis. Our
laboratory is also evaluating the feasibility of using the
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method to
detect pesticide residues in crops (Topic 2).
The Radioisotope Analysis Laboratory has been surveying 137Cs and 90Sr fallout in wheat, rice, and soils
collected from all over Japan since 1957. These data are
being analyzed to elucidate the fate of these artificial
radioisotopes in soil. Laboratory staff are currently developing a highly sensitive method for analyzing 129I to
study the fate of 129I discharged from nuclear fuel processing plants. In addition, they have successfully used
the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES)
method to study changes in the chemical form of iodine
in paddy fields and develop a model to simulate the fate
of 129I in soil (Topic 3).
Kosa storms are common in northern Japan in early
spring, and artificial radioisotopes such as 137Cs and 90Sr
have been detected in increasing amounts in yellow sand
in northern Japan. The Radioisotope Analysis Laboratory
is currently studying the yellow sand from these storms
to determine its source.
Topic 1: Development of a method for the analysis of
inorganic and organic arsenic componds containing
aromatic arsenicals in rice and soil
Recently, at Kamisu town in Ibaraki Prefecture, environmental pollution by the arsenic compound diphenylarsinic acid (DPAA) was reported. Further investigations revealed phenylarsonic acid (PAA), methylphenylarsinic acid (MPAA), dimethylphenylarsine oxide
(DMPAO), and methyldiphenylarsine oxide (MDPAO) in
well water in the area. There is a risk that crops in the
surrounding farmland could be contaminated by these
arsenicals. However, these five aromatic arsenicals could
not be quantitatively analyzed in plants or soil. Therefore,
we successfully explored a method of analyzing the inorganic and organic arsenic compoundscontaining these
aromatic arsenicals in the rice and soil. Arsenicals in rice
grain and straw were extracted with 50% methanol and 2
mol L–1 trifluoroacetic acid, separated by reversed phase
chromatography, and quantified by ICP-MS. Arsenicals
in soil were extracted with 1 mol L–1 NaOH in 50%
MeOH or 68% HNO3. The resulting chromatograms are
shown in Figure 1. Total amounts of arsenic were deter-
Fig. 1 Chromatograms used for analysis of arsenicals in mixed standard solution (each 5 µg
L–1), soil extract solution, rice straw extract solution, and rice grain extract solution.
57
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
mined in samples decomposed with 68% HNO3 and 35%
H2O2 and/or 38% HF in a microwave oven. The sums of
the extracted arsenicals made up 80% to 100% of the
total As content. The contaminated soil contained the
five aromatic arsenicals in the range of 0.30 to 1.40 mg
As kg–1. The rice straw cultivated in contaminated soil
contained mainly DMPAO (5.32 mg As kg–1), MDPAO
(1.02 mg As kg–1), and MPAA (0.39 mg As kg–1) as aromatic arsenicals. On the other hand, the rice grain contained mainly MPAA (0.76 mg As kg–1). Interestingly,
MDPAO and DMPAO, the major species in the straw,
were prevented from being transferred to the grain. (K.
Baba)
Topic 2: Reliable immunoassay detection of the fungicide chlorothalonil in agricultural products
The fungicide chlorothalonil is a problematic pesticide in chromatographic analyses of residues, as the fungicide is susceptible to the formation of matrix components during sample preparation before the analysis.
Hence, it could be difficult to quantify the fungicide in
agricultural products by the chromatographic method,
and the development of a reliable detection method for
the fungicide is an issue of great urgency.
Since ELISA requires no sample preparation steps
(such as concentration or clean-up steps), the degradation
of chlorothalonil by contact with matrix components
could be minimized by this type of simplification. Hence,
an ELISA was used for quantitative residue analysis of
chlorothalonil in agricultural products.
The ELISA used had analytical characteristics satisfactory for the detection of chlorothalonil (concentration
producing 50% inhibition (I50), 0.34 ng g–1; limit of detection, 0.052 ng g–1). On the other hand, the ELISA
showed significant cross-reaction against two fungicides
(phthalide, 59%; quintozene, 20%). No significant matrix interference was observed in the application of the
ELISA to agricultural samples. To directly determine the
chlorothalonil content the only preparatory step needed
was to dilute each sample extract with water before the
ELISA analysis. The average recovery values from artificially spiked samples (apple, cucumber, peach, and
tomato) by ELISA were between 102% and 114%, with
average coefficients of variation between 3% and 6%.
Although the results of the ELISA analysis were well
correlated with those of the GC-MS analysis (r > 0.98),
the linear function inclined toward the ELISA results
because of loss during the complex sample preparations
for GC-MS analysis (Fig. 2). Because use of this quantitative ELISA reduces the testing cost by about 90% and
the time for sample preparations by about 95% (Fig. 3),
it is evident that the proposed method could be greatly
effective in the quantitative residue analysis for the fungicide in agricultural products, especially for rapid and
simple checking before shipment. (E. Watanabe)
2.5
2.0
GC/MS results (µg g-1)
y=x
1.5
1.0
0.5
apple (○), y = 0.7219x + 0.0131 (r = 0.9881)
cucumber (△), y = 0.9655x - 0.0315 (r = 0.9972)
peach (□), y = 0.7818x + 0.0058 (r = 0.9885)
tomato (◇), y = 0.8825x - 0.0247 (r = 0.9980)
0.0
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
ELISA results (µg g-1)
Fig. 2 Correlation between the results of the proposed ELISA and the
GC-MS method in the analysis of agricultural samples spiked
with chlorothalonil.
58
GC/MS
ELISA
acetone (¥ 130)
methanol (¥ 40)
n-hexane (¥ 240)
conical tube
(¥ 70)
water (¥ 10)
other chemicals
(¥ 10)
other chemicals
(¥ 30)
¥130/sample
solid-phase extraction (SPE)
cartridges (¥ 1,100)
¥1,500/sample
dilution
(0.5 min)
extraction
(1 min)
solid-phase extraction
(SPE) (0.5 h)
extraction (0.5 h)
suction (0.02 h)
centrifugation
(3 min)
4.5 min/sample
concentration (1.4 h)
2.4 h/sample
Fig. 3 Comparison of the proposed ELISA and the GC-MS method in terms of cost performance and time required for sample preparation.
Topic 3: Model for estimating iodine concentration in
soil water in paddy fields
Iodine 129 is important radionuclide for monitoring
because it is exhausted from nuclear fuel reprocessing
plants. Even though it is released in trace amounts, its
half-life is extremely long (1.57 × 107 years). It is therefore desirable that we develop a model that can forecast
its movement in the environment. For this, we need to
model the movement of non-radioactive iodine, which is
closely related to the movement of iodine 129.
The duration of flooding of a paddy field and the soil
Eh which is an index to the oxidation-reduction potential
are closely connected. Our calculations were based on
the following hypotheses gained from measured data,
and the soil Eh at 10 cm depth was estimated from the
duration of flooding.
1) Soil Eh decreases by 35 mV/day down to 220 mV and
by 5 mV/day below 220 mV during flooding.
2) Eh increases by 60 mV/day up to 660 mV once the
paddy has been drained.
3) Soil Eh decreases by 35 mV/day down to 0 mV and
by 5 mV a day below 0 mV after mid-season drainage.
4) Soil Eh does not decrease below 220 mV in winter
when the mean air temperature is less than 10 °C,
even if the paddy is flooded.
The results of our calculations are shown in Figure 4.
There was good correlation between the Eh values calculated from the duration of flooding and the measured
values. The relationship between the concentration of
iodine in soil water at a depth of 20 cm and soil Eh at a
depth of 10 cm is shown in Figure 5. A linear equation
described the relationship for soil Eh of 180 mV or less
and an exponential function described the relationship
for soil Eh greater than 180 mV. The iodine concentrations obtained by substituting the estimated soil Eh in
Fig. 4 for the equations in Figure 5 and the measured
iodine concentrations are shown in Figure 6. There was
good agreement between the calculated and measured
values, and it is therefore possible to estimate the iodine
concentration in soil water in paddy fields from the duration of flooding. (N. Kihou)
59
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
mV 800
Soil Eh at the depth of 10 c
600
400
200
0
4/1
10/18
5/6
11/22
6/10
12/27
7/15
1/31
-200
Calculated Eh
Measured Eh
-400
Fig. 4 Relationship between soil Eh values calculated from the duration of paddy flooding and measured Eh values.
Iodine concentration in soil water
μgL-1
60
● ; Concentration of iodine in soil
water at the depth of 20 cm
50
40
30
20
y = -0.089x + 20.697
r2 = 0.2834
y=6.7688e-0.002x(n=35)
r2=0.343
10
0
-200
0
200
400
600
Eh of soil at the depth of 10 cm
800
mV
Fig. 5 Relationship between concentration of iodine in paddy soil water at the depth of
20 cm and soil Eh at the depth of 10 cm.
-1
μｇL 60
Sampling depth of soil water ; 20 cm
Concentration of iodine
in soil water
50
Calculated Iodine
Measured Iodine
40
30
20
10
0
4/1
10/18
5/6
11/22
6/10
12/27
7/15
1/31
Fig. 6 Comparison of iodine concentrations calculated from duration of paddy flooding
60
Research Project
1. Development of technologies to utilize the
natural circulation functions of forests and
farmlands through to water bodies
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are industries that
depend fundamentally on nature and are maintained by
carbon and nutrient cycles through chains of various
natural organisms. However, we have not yet thoroughly
elucidated either the natural circulation functions of
these industries or the ways in which they maintain the
resources of the natural environment, and we do not
know how to utilize these resources in a sustainable way.
A project entitled “Development of technologies to utilize the natural circulation functions of forests and farmlands through to water bodies” was therefore initiated in
FY 2000 by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council Secretariat.
The aim of the project was to clarify the natural purification and circulation functions of forests and farmlands through to water bodies. By developing technologies to control environmental burdens such as nitrate-nitrogen from agriculture, forestry, and fisheries,
our objective was to enhance the ability of primary production, particularly in water bodies. From FY 2001 onward, the project proceeded through grants at a time of
transition of the research institutes affiliated with the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries into independent administrative institutions. For a total of 6
years (a first 3-year term from FY 2000 to FY 2002 and a
second term from FY 2003 to FY 2005), researchers with
different areas of expertise in the ecosystems of forests,
farmlands, and water bodies worked together to tackle
the following two major challenges:
1. Elucidation of the natural circulation functions of a
topographical sequence, and development of technologies to enhance this function
We elucidated the nitrogen balance in a forest ecosystem, and then the nitrogen loading in a topographical
sequence (a catchment area with vegetable or tea farms
uphill and spring-fed paddy fields on the lowlands) that
varied depending on the region. From this, we determined where to expect nitrogen purification functions to
occur.
2. Elucidation of the natural circulation functions of
ecosystems in forests, farmlands, and water bodies,
and preparation of guidelines for managing them
We studied several watersheds, including the Yahagi
River basin, and elucidated the natural circulation functions of the forests and farmlands through to water bodies. We then tested a model for the management of farmland and aquatic ecosystems.
Our major achievements can be summarized as follows:
1. We clarified the nitrogen balance in a forest ecosystem and elucidated the impacts of tree thinning on
the quality of water released from the forest.
2. We developed a technology for precisely evaluating
nitrogen runoff potential from farmland, and we
clarified how nitrogen is eliminated through a topographical sequence.
3. We found that nutrients carried by rivers support the
production of organisms such as shellfish in river
mouths and coastal areas.
4. Research on the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus
from forests in upstream regions through farmland to
the mouth of the Yahagi River indicated that flow
control of the river is vital for maintaining the water
quality and biological production in Chita Bay.
2. Development of Techniques for Predicting
Food Production Changes Resulting from
Global Warming
Global warming caused by changes in land use and
by anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide and methane has become a topic of discussion worldwide. The Third IPCC Report on Global
Warming, published in 2002, points out that the rising
temperature trend over the last 50 years is mainly the
result of human activity. At the annual Conference of the
Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, politicians and government officers discuss
ways of mitigating these problems. Because global
warming is expected have substantial effects on agriculture through rises in temperature, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, spatial and temporal changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in soil characteristics, there is considerable concern about potential
changes to food production.
NIAES ran a research project on this problem, commencing in FY 2001 and ending in FY 2005. The project
examined the effects of global warming on agricultural
production in northeast and East Asia from the points of
view of the natural environment, crop physiology, and
socioeconomics. Among the topics covered by the project were the development of methods for predicting
precipitation at the local scale, the development of
methods for detecting cropland and crop phenology by
using satellite data, the elucidation of changes in water
and soil resources and their effects on the physiology of
crop growth, and changes in the occurrence of insect
pests as temperatures rise. The project also included the
61
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
modification of an existing model for worldwide food
supply-and-demand to permit the prediction of changes
in food production arising from environmental changes.
We concluded that dry matter and its efficiency in the
water use of rice will increase as a result of the elevation
of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, but that spikelet
fertility will also increase as a result of the higher temperatures caused by global warming. Moreover, although
the amount of cultivable land is expected to increase, we
are concerned that rice production will become unstable
as a result of temporal and spatial maldistributions in
precipitation and increased levels of insect damage.
As part of this project, we also held an international
workshop on “Prediction of Food Production Variation in
East Asia under Global Warming” at the Tsukuba Center
for Institute, on 17 to 19 March 2004; there were 20 oral
presentations and 62 participants.
3. Assurance of Safe Use of Genetically Modified Organisms
Recent advances in molecular biology have led to the
production of many genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) and their release into the environment for practical uses. Most of these GM crops have helped improve
agricultural productivity in harmony with the agro- environment. On the other hand, commercialization of
GMOs has raised public concern about food safety. As a
result, extensive environmental testing is required before
GMOs are released into the environment.
A comprehensive research project entitled “Assurance of Safe Use of Genetically Modified Organisms”
was conducted from FY 2001 to FY 2005 under the auspices of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Research Council (AFFRC) of MAFF. This project aimed
to promote safe utilization and improve public acceptance of transgenic products by developing appropriate
methods of safety evaluation and safety management for
emerging types of transgenic products. For example, the
research subjects included new traits, pollen dispersal
and crossing, detection methods, and public acceptance.
The main research results obtained were as follows:
In response to public concern about transgene dispersal into the agro-ecosystem, outcrossing rates estimated in conventional corn are available for gene flow
studies. We conducted small-scale experiments in a field
(0.14 ha) at Tsukuba and larger scale (4.5 ha) field experiments at Tsumagoi, in Gunma Prefecture. The outcrossing rate and distribution of hybrid plants in the field,
detected by xenia in conventional corn (pollen donor:
yellow grain; pollen recipient: white grain), differed by
year. However, in both fields, plants that grew within 1
m of the donor exhibited the highest mean outcrossing
62
rates (22.6% to 56.8% over 3 years in Tsukuba, and
32.0% to 43.2% over 2 years at Tsumagoi). No remarkable difference between the two experimental fields in
terms of the main crossing rates of plants adjacent to
donor plants was observed. Values decreased sharply
with distance from the donor plants. These results are
useful as fundamental data to establish end points for
risk assessment and separation distances from GM crops
in risk management in Japan, where most farmers cultivate small or variably sized fields.
A specific method for assessing allelopathy was developed and named the “plant box method”. It uses intact
plants growing in an agar medium without nutrients
(Photo 1). It deals with the transfer of allelochemicals
through root exudates and was adopted to assess the allelopathy exhibited by newly developed genetically
modified crops (GM crops) (Fig. 1). To elucidate the
allelopathic effect of fresh leaf and leaf litter leachates
under laboratory conditions, a “sandwich method”, in
which leaves are placed between two layers of agar, was
employed and modified. This bioassay seems to be a
reliable method for screening for allelopathic activity in
leaf litter leachates. A “dish pack method” was developed for analyzing volatile allelochemicals. In this
method, leaves are put into one of the holes in a six-well
multi-dish. It is possible to analyze the internal volatile
gas collected from the hole with a gas-tight syringe
through the septum set up on the holes. By using this
method, it is possible to determine the chemical structures of volatile allelochemicals in action.
A “rhizosphere soil method” was developed to
evaluate allelopathy in the soil. Rhizosphere soil was
brushed off the root surfaces after removal of the surface
soil by the “air shaking method”. The texture and type of
soil did not affect the results. We used this method to
evaluate the allelopathic activity of ground-cover plants
and weeds.
A key element of environmental risk assessment is
evaluation of the potential long-term effects of GM crops.
In particular, it is necessary to test whether GM crop
cultivation influences farmland biota differently from the
management of conventional cultivars, and subsequently
to determine whether any of the effects detected are detrimental to the environment. We cultivated glyphosate-tolerant (GM) and conventional (non-GM) soybeans over 4 years and ordinary wheat as a succeeding
crop for 1 year (Photo 2). There were no differences in
the numbers of weed species in GM and non-GM soybean fields before weeding. The number of insect species
found on stems and leaves was generally low, and no
specific species were found throughout the research period. The numbers of microbes in the soil were consistent
Radicle Length of Acceptor (mm)
80
60
40
y = 1.3355x + 14.85
20
2
R = 0.9066
0
0
Photo 1 The plant box method
10
20
30
40
Distance from the Root of Donor (mm)
50
Fig. 1 Inhibitory action of allelochemicals in root
exudates of a plant
Photo 2 Monitoring a field of GM soybean at NIAES
between GM and non-GM crops. There were no differences in the wheat crops cultivated in the two fields.
From these 5-year results, we concluded that there were
no differences in the vegetation, composition of insects,
or soil microorganisms in fields grown with GM soybean
as compared with conventional soybeans.
This comprehensive research project was coordinated
by NIAES over the last 5 years in collaboration with 34
institutions, including six universities. The project is now
being conducted for a second 5-year period.
4. Grouping of minor crops for assessment of
pesticide residues, and development of a
method for rapid detection of residues in
these crops
Grouping of minor crops for assessment of pesticide
residues: Pesticides are indispensable for the production
of minor crops (defined in Japan as crops produced at
30 000 t/year or less), but only a few chemicals are currently permitted for use as pesticides. We therefore need
to group minor crops if we are to efficiently use these
63
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
pesticides. In this project, we examined several minor
crops, including cucurbits, cereals, Laminaceae, and
Umbelliferae. In cucurbit crops, initial rates of pesticide
deposition were almost the same among cucumber, bitter
gourd, and zucchini. The rate of decline in pesticide
concentrations in cucumber did not differ from that in
zucchini, but pesticides persisted longer in bitter gourd
than in either cucumber or zucchini. Among the cereal
crops, the persistence of pesticides in Awa (foxtail millet,
Setaria italica) was greater than that in Hie (Japanese
barnyard millet, Echinochloa esculenta) or Kibi
(broomcorn millet, Panicum miliaceum). We were thus
able to evaluate the persistence of pesticides in the two
latter millets relative to that in Awa. We evaluated the
persistence of pesticides on 16 Laminaceae crops, including lemon balm, spearmint, apple mint, sage, sweet
marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, and perilla. We found
that the patterns of persistence of pesticides in all of
these crops were very similar, except in sweet marjoram.
We evaluated the persistence of pesticides on 13 Umbelliferae crops, including coriander, mitsuba, caraway,
soup celery, parsley, dill, chervil, and celery. We found
that the persistence of pesticides on dill and celery was
lower than that on the other crops.
Development of a method for prompt detection of
pesticide residues: Haptens of tebufenozide and
chlorothalonil were synthesized to develop a method for
prompt detection of these pesticides in crops. The haptens were conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin, and
the hapten conjugate was used to immunize mice. Then a
monoclonal antibody was made from the hybridoma. A
hybridoma was made by hybridizing an antibody-producing cell with an immortal cell line. Finally,
we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) kit for these pesticides. We also developed several ELISA kits for the detection of these pesticide residues in rice, tomato, spinach, broccoli, and apple. We
compared the pesticide concentrations determined by
ELISA with those determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and found that they were almost the
same. Thus the ELISA kits had a high level of performance.
5. Evaluation of pesticide residues in minor
crops
In Japan, crops produced at annual rates of 30,000 t
or less are called minor crops. Minor crops include many
regional and traditional crops. Because various pests
infest these crops, many kinds of pesticides are needed
for their stable production. However, when we register a
pesticide for a crop, we need to perform analyses of the
levels of pesticide residue in the crop, the efficacy of the
64
pesticide for pest control, and the phytotoxicity of the
pesticide to the crop. In particular, the cost of analyzing
crops for pesticide residues is high. Therefore, to date,
only a few pesticides have been registered for minor
crops. Prompt registration of more pesticides for use on
these crops is important if we are to maintain crop production.
During the period 2005–2007, we will characterize
and classify pesticide residues in minor crops and will
develop methods of analyzing pesticide residues in fruit
and leafy vegetables.
6. Study and surveillance of farmer and environmental safety in tank mixing of pesticides
On-site tank mixing of different pesticide formulations just before application is a popular practice because
it reduces the workload in applying pesticides. Farmers
currently use the “Case Study Data on Tank Mixing of
Pesticide Combinations” as a guide to the crop safety
and the activity of fungicide and insecticide combinations. This publication includes information provided by
the Japan Plant Protection Association, Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, and pesticide companies. However,
we still have very limited human and environmental
safety data on tank-mixed pesticides.
The purposes of this project are to survey the important combinations of pesticides, especially in vegetables
and fruits; to elucidate the safety of pesticide combinations in humans and insects; and to determine an appropriate risk management protocol for tank mixing. The
project has the following four study components: (1)
surveillance of tank mixing of various pesticide combinations and selection of the most commonly used combinations; (2) design of methods for testing effects on
humans, effects on insect activity, and pesticide drift; (3)
conducting of these tests; and (4) risk management of
tank mixing.
The project began in FY 2005 and is scheduled to
end in FY 2007. It is supported by a research project for
utilizing advanced technologies in agriculture, forestry,
and fisheries. And not only NIAES but also Chiba University, the Institute of Environmental Toxicology, and
the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives are participants. In
the first year, we selected 64 out of 184 tank mixing pesticide combinations used on vegetables in Japan. The
most common combinations were wettable powder plus
emulsifiable concentrate, followed by suspension concentrate plus emulsifiable concentrate. We developed an
in vitro skin irritation test method that uses a
three-dimensional cultured human skin model. This
method is appropriate for Tier 1 tests, which is Screening
(Priority setting for testing), and was rated highly by the
public in terms of both animal protection and ethics. We
established a laboratory test system to evaluate the effects of the abovementioned combinations on the house
fly (Musca domestica L.). The test effectively detects
additive, antagonistic, and synergistic actions in terms of
acute toxicity. We also developed a pesticide droplet-detection device that uses a wind tunnel and laser
particle spectrometer. It enables us to measure very small
droplets (<30 µm), which are commonly observed in
pesticide drift. With these newly developed methods we
could achieve most of the results with selected tank
mixing pesticide combinations.
7. Research on hazardous substances contained
in fertilizers and suspected of affecting human health
In light of recent directions in public health and rising demand for improved food safety, in this study we
are taking up the hazards associated with those substances in fertilizers that are suspected of affecting human health but about which we know little, unlike the
case of well-known toxic metals such as cadmium. We
aim to accumulate data on the movement of these substances in the soil, their degree of uptake by plant bodies,
and their influence on human health. The study will run
for 3 years (2005–2007) and covers the following
sub-topics:
1. Specification of the hazardous substances that will be
studied except the substances on sub-topic 2 and 3.
2. Clarification of the movements of natural radioactive
materials that are inevitably mixed in with the raw
materials (rock phosphates) used to make fertilizers.
3. Clarification of the rise and fall in the levels of these
substances in the composting process, the shift of
these substances into crops, and their remaining in
crops.
NIAES is in charge of the second of these sub-topics.
The different organization is respectively in charge of
other two sub-topics. Although the dangers of radioactive materials have been reviewed internationally, because the uranium concentrations in the phosphate fertilizers produced from some deposits is comparatively high,
Japan’s Radiation Council examined whether the levels
of uranium in fertilizers should be restricted. The restriction was decided not to be done in 2004. But the possibility that the restriction is done in the future was not
denied. And in the process of this discussion, it was understood that the data obtained on the influence of fertilizer uranium on Japan’s agricultural environment were
insufficient. We therefore aimed to obtain more data so
that the issue could finally be clarified.
This sub-topic can be divided into the following sub-
jects:
① Clarification of the movement of uranium in farmland soil environments.
② Calculation of the migration coefficients of uranium
in major farm products.
As part of subject 1, the concentration of uranium in
the soil of a field with a history of long-term fertilizer
application is being investigated by inductively coupled
plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The realities of
the accumulation of uranium in the farmland soil will
then be clarified in terms of such factors as differences in
land and fertilizer use, year-to-year changes in the concentration of uranium, and the vertical distribution of
uranium in the soil. In subject 2, after the establishment
of a method for the microanalysis of uranium in plants,
the rate at which the uranium in the soil shifts into the
edible parts of the crops (the migration coefficient) will
be calculated for various commonly cultivated crops. (N.
Kihou)
8. Risk assessment and control of alien plants
A large number of alien species have been introduced
into Japan over a long period of time. Although some of
them have been able to coexist with native species over
time, others affect the local biological diversity. Recently,
the movement of people and substances has become
more active as human mobility has increased. Living
organisms are being introduced, through intentional or
unintentional human activity, into new regions from
other countries or other regions in a manner that exceeds
the living organisms’ natural ability to migrate. Among
these living organisms are those that are being used for a
variety of purposes, including cultivation, landscaping,
home gardens, and aquarium. These organisms have
penetrated, and coexisted with, our daily lives and culture over a long period of time, and they have come to
serve a variety of active roles in our primary industries.
In contrast, there are cases where, if living organisms not
previously present in a region are brought in through
human intervention, they can drastically alter the biodiversity of the region by feeding on, or driving out, living
native organisms that do not have appropriate defenses.
Such occurrences are being reported in all parts of the
world, including Japan, and have sometimes caused
harm to humans or to agriculture, forestry, or fisheries.
Preventing the introduction and establishment of invasive alien species is therefore a very desirable measure in
terms of both environmental preservation and cost- effectiveness. If these species do invade, a rapid and appropriate response will give the greatest chance of eradicating them. Japan has therefore enacted the Invasive Alien
Species Act (Law No. 78, 2004; (http://www.env.go.jp/
65
Research Overview and Topics in 2005
en/nature/as/040427.pdf) to prevent potential adverse
effects on Japanese ecosystems, human safety, and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries from those alien species
that have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced into Japan from overseas through human activity
and that exist outside their original habitats. A person
who raises IAS (Invasive Alien Species; see below) with
the aim of selling or distributing them in violation of the
provisions of the Act shall be punished by imprisonment
for up to 3 years or by a fine of up to 3 million yen. This
is the strictest environment-related Act in Japan.
To support this Act, a new National Project, “Risk
Assessment and Control of Alien Plants” has just started
in Japan. The first designation of species as “IAS” (Invasive Alien Species, which pose a risk of damage to biodiversity, human safety, or agriculture in Japan); UAS
(Uncategorized Alien Species, which may be categorized
as IAS after detailed investigation and thus require detailed investigation before they may be imported into
Japan); and LORCA (Living Organisms Required to
have a Certificate Attached during their importation in
order to verify their designation) was proposed by academic experts in October 2004. The second designation
was completed in July 2005. The aim of this project is to
survey the distributions of, and hazards posed by, alien
invasive plants; to prepare scientific background data for
66
the classification of harmful alien species; and to develop practical methods for mitigation of the damage
caused by alien invasive plants. These aims will be
achieved as follows:
1) Determine the distribution of alien invasive plants in
Japan and their invasive potential by: a) investigating
their true invasion status; b) determining their
mechanism of invasion; and c) analyzing their allelopathic or toxic principles. Allelopathy and the
presence of toxic chemicals play important roles in
the success of invasion.
2) Develop a method of risk assessment of alien invasive plants by: a) determining their route of invasion;
b) determining their mechanism of settlement,
development, and expansion; c) preparing a database
for their risk assessment; and d) using risk assessment methods to determine which plants will be hazardous. The WRA (Weed Risk Assessment) introduced in 1997 in Australia is a good model for us.
3) Develop a method of mitigating the damage caused
by hazardous alien plants and for controlling or
eliminating these plants by: a) chemical control with
herbicides; b) mechanical control; c) biological control with cover plants; and d) development of
comprehensive mitigation schemes. (Y. Fujii)
Invitations, Training and Information Events
Symposia and Workshops
1. Conferences, Workshops and Research Meetings
Title
Place
Date
Participants
The 5th Seminar on Organic Chemicals Studies: Mathematical Mod- NIAES
els for Prediction of POPs and Pesticides Behavior - Development
Status and Future Prospects -
September 27,
2005
140
The 22nd Research Meeting on Pesticides: Multiple Residue Analy- NIAES
sis of Pesticides - Demand Trend and Method Development -
September 28,
2005
127
The 25th Symposium on Agro-Environmental Sciences: The Role NIAES
and Issue of Natural Resources Inventories for Risk Research on
Agricultural Environment
October 25,
2005
104
Symposium on Agriculture and Food Security in Monsoon Asia
November 3,
2005
321
Symposium on the Research Project "Development of Technologies Will Aichi
for Advanced Use of the Natural Cyclical Function through Forest,
Farmland, and Water Bodies"
November 11,
2005
173
Workshop on "Food and Environmental Safety: Risk assessment and Tsukuba International
Reduction Technologies for Hazardous Chemicals" Midterm Pres- Congress Center
entation on Research Project "Development of Comprehensive
Management System of Hazardous Chemicals in Agricultural Forestry and Fisheries Ecosystems"
November 28,
2005
171
Symposium on the Research Project "Symbiosis between Nature and Tsukuba International
the agriculture,forestry, and marine products industry"
Congress Center
December 2,
2005
119
The 3rd Symposium of Environmental Research Institutes in Japan
Tsukuba International
Congress Center
December 14,
2005
107
Seminar on Risk Assessment and Prevention of Invasive Alien Plants
Tsukuba International
Congress Center
December 18,
2005
122
The 23rd Seminar on Soil and Water: Absorption of Hazardous NIAES
Chemical Substances by Agricultural Products and the Management
of the Risk Involved
February 22,
2005
261
Seminar on Risk Assessment and Prevention of Invasive Alien Plants
March 5, 2006
229
The 22nd Meteorology Workshop : Role of Plants as an Interface for NIAES
Gas Exchange between Soil and Atmosphere
March 6, 2006
139
International Workshop on Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Tsukuba International
Gas Emissions
Congress Center
March 7, 2006
108
The 3rd International Workshop of the Japan-Korea Research Coop- Tsukuba International
eration - Nitrogen Load in Agro-Ecosystems and its Outflow to Wa- Congress Center
ter Bodies: Analyses with Monitoring and Modeling
March 15, 2006
112
International Symposium on Agro-Environment: Effect of Agricul- Policy Research Institute March 22, 2006
ture on Biodiversity
of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries
63
University of Tokyo
Kurashiki Art Gallery
67
Invitations, Training and Information Events
2. Fifth Seminar on Organic Chemical Studies:
Mathematical Models for Predicting the Behavior of POPs and Pesticides—Development
Status and Future Prospects
The Fifth Seminar on Organic Chemical Studies was
held on 27 September 2005 at the NIAES conference
hall. Five domestic speakers experienced in mathematical modeling for the prediction of organochemical behavior were invited from national institutes and a university. There were a total of 140 participants.
Mathematical modeling of chemical behavior in the
environment is one of the most effective tools for determining exposure in environmental risk assessments. In
recent years, several models have been developed domestically for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and
pesticides. To build on these models we need to clarify
and combine the physicochemical properties of the organochemicals and the movement of the medium, such
as water or air. The objectives of this seminar were to
examine the current status and future issues of mathematical modeling for the prediction of organochemical
behavior in the environment and to discuss the directions
of research into model development.
The following topics were presented at the seminar:
1) Administrative needs in mathematical modeling for
the prediction of pesticide behavior (Y. Yogo, NIAES);
2) Mathematical model for the prediction of pesticide
behavior in arable land (K. Inao, NIAES); 3) Model for
predicting the behavior of pesticides flowing into rivers
(T. Inoue, Toyohashi University of Technology); 4) Development of a “Multi-Media-Model” of the global behaviors of organochemicals (M. Nishimori, NIAES); and
5) Model for predicting the diffusion of air pollutants in
the area neighboring an incident source (H. Yoshikado,
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
Technology).
A group discussion was introduced to promote the
exchange of opinions. Participants exchanged ideas on:
1) domestic needs in mathematical modeling; 2) validation and exhibition of models; and 3) construction of a
database on input parameters. Participants also recognized that we were behind the United States and Europe
in the development of mathematical models, and they
emphasized the urgency and significance of this issue.
3. 22nd Research Meeting on Pesticides: Multiple Residue Analysis of Pesticides— Demand
Trends and Method Development
The 22nd Research Meeting on Pesticides was held
on 28 September 2005 in the NIAES conference hall.
Five domestic speakers experienced in multiple residue
analysis of pesticides were invited from government and
68
research institutes to present the first half of the seminar.
Several research reports, by researchers from prefectural
agricultural experimental stations, were presented in the
second half. A total of 127 participants attended.
The public cares strongly about pesticide residues in
crops, soils, water, and the air. A “Positive List” System
of pesticides was started in Japan on 29 May 2006. This
system is for agricultural chemicals such as pesticides
remaining in foods, in the Food Sanitation Law. This
system is designed to prohibit the sale of foods containing residual agricultural chemicals above a certain level
if maximum residue limits (MRLs) have not been established. The provisional MRLs were decided for 799
chemicals in 170 foods. Needs and demands for multiple
residue analyses are continuing to increase. However,
several problems exist, such as how to introduce newly
launched pesticides and how to develop procedures for
analyzing difficult-to-analyze chemicals. The objectives
of the first half of this seminar were to understand the
political and technical issues and to clarify the research
directions.
The following topics were presented in the first session: 1) The “Positive List” system in Japan (T. Kondo,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare); 2) Surveillance
of pesticide residues in drinking water (T. Aizawa, Yokohama Waterworks Bureau); 3) Trends in the development of pretreatment technology of samples for pesticide
analysis (E. Watanabe, NIAES); 4) Types and trends in
the development of analytical instruments (mainly mass
spectrometers) (M. Ishizaka, NIAES); and 5) Current
status of, and future issues in, multiple residue analysis
of pesticides (K. Iijima, Institute of Environmental
Toxicology).
In the second half of the seminar, the topics discussed were multiple residue analysis of pesticides, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), pesticide
monitoring in rivers, and pesticide drift, mainly on the
basis of the annual reports from prefectural agricultural
experimental stations. The topics were timely and important, and participants actively exchanged information
and opinions in both sessions.
4. 25th Symposium on Agro-Environmental Science: Roles of and Issues Associated with
Natural Resource Inventories for Risk Research on the Agricultural Environment
The 25th Symposium on Agro-Environmental Science was held on 25 October 2005 at NIAES conference
hall, and 145 people participated. The objectives of this
symposium were to exchange the latest information on
the roles of, and issues associated with, natural resource
inventories for risk assessment and management in eco-
systems. In accordance with this main theme, the symposium examined topics associated with research results
on “Ecological risk assessment and management of environmental load substances and land-use change” and
“Natural resources inventory for the risk assessment of
food production and environmental conservation.”
Dr. Y. Sato, President of NIAES, gave the opening
address. Dr. M. Uwasawa, Director of the Natural Resources Inventory Center of NIAES, gave the keynote
speech. He pointed out that although the word “inventory” originally meant a written list of all objects, today
it has come to encompass specimens, samples, documents, data, databases, and computerized retrieval systems. He said that now it is important that we use natural
resources inventories for many purposes. He anticipated
that symposium participants would discuss the roles of
and issues associated with natural resource inventories
for risk research on the agricultural environment, with
the aim of evaluating and minimizing these risks. He
said that he expected that the symposium would help to
solve these problems.
Following the keynote speech, seven speakers presented topics related to the two sub-themes mentioned
above:
Part I “Ecological risk assessment and management
of environmental load substances and land-use change”:
1) Risk assessment of environmental load substances in
ecosystems. W. Naito (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)
2) Method of risk assessment of land-use changes for
wildlife. Y. Natsuhara (Osaka Prefecture University)
Part II “Natural resources inventory for risk assessment of food production and environmental conservation”
3) Risk assessment of food production changes with
global warming. H. Toritani (NIAES)
4) Risk assessment of heavy metal elements in soils and
plants. S. Ono (NIAES)
5) Method of assessment of environmental load substances in space and time. N. Suzuki (National Institute for Environmental Studies)
6) Information system for risk management in rural
environments. S. Sadowara (Yokohama National
University)
7) The present and future of soil inventories. T. Ohkura
(NIAES)
Dr. M. Ueji, the Executive Director of NIAES,
closed the seminar and emphasized the importance of
inventories for risk assessment and management in the
agro-environment.
5. 23rd Seminar on Soil and Water: Absorption
of Hazardous Chemical Substances by Agricultural Products, and Management of the
Risks Involved
The 23rd Seminar on Soil and Water, sponsored by
NIAES, was held at the Tsukuba Norin Hall on 22 February 2006 and was attended by 261 people from all over
the country.
Today, awareness and concern about food safety are
increasing in Japan and worldwide. The tightening of
international safety standards for heavy metals such as
cadmium is being discussed by Codex, and measures are
being implemented to secure the safety of agricultural
products such as rice. At the same time, the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (the POPs
Treaty), which aims to protect people’s health and the
natural environment from pollution by persistent chemical substances, came into effect, and there is global demand for a full understanding of the behavior of highly
persistent organic pollutants.
We therefore need to accelerate the implementation
of risk-management measures relating to hazardous
chemical substances that are likely to persist in farmland
soil, be absorbed by agricultural products, and endanger
food safety.
Given this background, six lectures on the latest information and research achievements in this subject area
were presented at this symposium. The lectures covered
(1) administrative measures, (2) perceptions of the absorption of pollutants by agricultural products, and (3)
new methods (e.g., phytoremediation and chemical
cleaning of contaminated soil) for managing the risks
associated with hazardous chemical substances such as
heavy metals and drin compounds.
Each lecture was accompanied by an active question-and-answer session, and in the final comprehensive
discussion a heated debate was conducted on future perspectives on the risk management of hazardous chemical
substances.
6. 22nd Meteorology Workshop: Role of Plants
as Interfaces for Gas Exchange between the
Soil and Atmosphere
The 22nd Meteorology Workshop was held on 6
March 2006, with nine speakers and about 140 participants, in the NIAES meeting hall. Plants act as sinks, by
absorption, and sources of various gases, and as routes of
transport of gases from and to the soil and atmosphere.
For instance, the CO2 and H2O needed for growing
plants are fixed or emitted through stomata in the leaves.
CH4, one of the greenhouse gases, is emitted from cracks
in the nodes and micropores in the leaf sheaths to the
69
Invitations, Training and Information Events
atmosphere through ventilation systems in the body of
the rice plant. Not only are plants affected by atmospheric environmental change; through their gas exchange
function they can, in turn, influence these changes in
atmospheric composition. Therefore, in clarifying the
material cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and water in agricultural ecosystems, it is extremely important that we
reveal the amounts of gas exchanged, and the processes
of exchange, between plants and the atmosphere on field,
regional, and global scales. This workshop focused on
the role of plants in mediating the exchange of CO2, CH4,
nitrogenous substances, and water between the soil and
atmosphere. We multilaterally discussed real values of
gas exchange at canopy and field levels, the absorption
and emission of gases by plants, and environmental response mechanisms. We also discussed the future directions of research into the development of techniques for
the quantitative evaluation of gas exchange.
Nine speakers gave presentations on the following
topics: 1) CO2 and CH4 flux observation by micrometeorological measurement (M. Mano, NIAES); 2) Measurement and modeling of photosynthesis by rice cano-
70
pies in paddy fields (H. Sakai, NIAES); 3) Diffusion and
absorption mechanisms of CO2 in leaves (I. Terashima,
Osaka University Graduate School); 4) Environmental
responses of stomata (N. Kondo, Teikyo University of
Science and Technology); 5) Water movement in the
plant body: from aquaporin in the root cell membrane to
the stomata in the leaves (M. Murai, Tohoku Agricultural
Research Center); 6) mechanism of CH4 transport from
the rhizosphere to the atmosphere by hydrophytes (I.
Nouchi, NIAES); 7) Modeling of CH4 emission process
from rice paddy ecosystems (T. Fumoto, NIAES); 8) Is
the plant a source of NH3 or a sink? (K. Hayashi, NIAES); and 9) N2O emission from agricultural land and
relationship to crops and soils (S. Nishimura, NIAES).
There were many excellent and active questions and
answers on each topic. The highlights of the workshop
were the discussion of molecular biological analysis of
CO2 fixation mechanisms; the behavior of aquaporin in
the cell membranes in water transport; mechanisms of
CH4 transport from the rhizosphere to the atmosphere
through hydrophytes; and modeling of the production,
oxidation, and transport of CH4. (I. Nouchi)
Foreign Visitors
1. Foreign Scholars
Affiliation
Research Subject
Duration
Korea, National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology(NIAST)
Cooperative research on "Exposure and risk assessment on POPs"
August 6, 2005～
February 4, 2006
Bangladesh, Agricultural University
JSPS-UGC Joint Program "Rice paddy flux observation in Bengal Lowland"
August 22, 2005～
November 9, 2005
Bangladesh, Agricultural University
Carbon and water vapor exchange between Asian
rice paddy fields and the atmosphere
August 28, 2005～
August 30, 2005
Korea, NIAST
Cooperative research on "Exposure and risk assessment on POPs"
August 6, 2005～
February 4, 2006
Korea, Rural Development Administration
Cooperative research on "Exposure and risk assessment on POPs"
August 6, 2005～
February 4, 2006
China, Guangzhou Institute of Organic
Geochemistry
Long range transport of POPs
October 9, 2005～
October 12, 2005
Korea, NIAST, Division of Plant Nutrition
Construction of a database for N input-output balance in relevant agricultural regions
November 13, 2005～
November 19, 2005
Korea, NIAST, Division of Plant Nutrition
Construction of a database for N input-output balance in relevant agricultural regions
November 13, 2005～
November 19, 2005
Bangladesh, Agricultural University
JSPS-UGC Joint Program "Rice paddy flux observation in Bengal Lowland"
November 19, 2005～
January 27, 2006
China, South China Institute of Botany
Synthetic evaluation of the effects of acidic load on
material flows in east Asian catchments areas
February 19, 2006～
February 22, 2006
China, South China Institute of Botany
Synthetic evaluation of the effects of acidic load on
material flows in east Asian catchments areas
February 19, 2006～
February 22, 2006
China, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agriculture Ecology
Synthetic evaluation of the effects of acidic load on
material flows in east Asian catchments areas
February 19, 2006～
February 22, 2006
Thai, Royal Forestry Department
Synthetic evaluation of the effects of acidic load on
material flows in east Asian catchments areas
February 19, 2006～
February 22, 2006
Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
Indonesia, Lambung Mangkurat
University
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
Thai, King Mongkut's University of
Technology Thonburi
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
USA, University of New Hampshire
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
71
Invitations, Training and Information Events
Affiliation
Research Subject
Duration
Korea, NIAST
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
China, Institute of Applied Ecology
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
China, Institute of Atmospheric Physics
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
China, Nanjing Institute of Soil Science
International Workshop on "Monsoon Asia Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
March 6, 2006～
March 10, 2006
Thai, Joint Graduate School of Energy
and Environment
Technological method of gas analysis and biomass
burning experiment method
March 10, 2006～
March 12, 2006
China, Nanjing Institute of Soil Science
International Workshop on "Nitrogen Load in
Agro-Ecosystems and its Outflow to Water Bodies"
March 14, 2006～
March 16, 2006
China, Nanjing Institute of Soil Science
Relationship between ground surface conditions and
generation of dust storm
March 14, 2006～
March 16, 2006
USA, University of Illinois
Workshop on "Aeolian dust experiment on climate
impact"
March 14, 2006～
March 16, 2006
Australia, Flinders University of South
Australia
Workshop on "Aeolian dust experiment on climate
impact"
March 14, 2006～
March 16, 2006
UK, ADAS Research
Workshop on "Aeolian dust experiment on climate
impact"
March 14, 2006～
March 16, 2006
Korea, NIAST, Division of Environment and Ecology
Workshop on "Aeolian dust experiment on climate
impact"
March 14, 2006～
March 17, 2006
Korea, NIAST, Division of Plant Nutrition
Fate of pesticides applied in fields and their influence to aquatic organisms
March 14, 2006～
March 17, 2006
Korea, NIAST, Multifunctional
Assessment & Research Team
Workshop on "Impact assessment of farm chemicals
run off from paddy fields and biodiversity conservation"
March 14, 2006～
March 17, 2006
Korea, NIAST, Division of Soil Management
Workshop on "Impact assessment of farm chemicals
run off from paddy fields and biodiversity conservation"
March 14, 2006～
March 17, 2006
Korea, NIAST, Division of Plant Nutrition
Workshop on "Impact assessment of farm chemicals
run off from paddy fields and biodiversity conservation"
March 14, 2006～
March 17, 2006
72
2. Fellows
Affiliation
Research Subject
Duration
Molecular characterization of defense potentiation mechanism induced by botanicals
April 9, 2004～
April 8, 2006
China, Institute of
Soil Science
Characterization of soil microbial community structure
related to N2O emission by molecular analysis
October 20, 2004～
October 19, 2006
China, Research
Center for
Eco-Environmental Sciences
Colloid-facilitated and dissolved transport of cadmium
through cracked subsurface soils
October 25, 2004～
October 24, 2006
China, Institute of
Soil Science
Study on soil microbial emissions of nitrous oxide by 15N
tracer technique
November 1, 2004～
October 31, 2006
Egypt, Assiut
University
Demographic dynamics and sustainable rural development
in developing countries
April 1, 2005～
November 28, 2006
Poland, Warsaw
Agriculture
University
DNA microarray studies of allelochemicals from buckwheat
August 2, 2005～
August 1, 2007
Nihon University
A Comparative study of POPs exposure in Japan and Korea
agro-environment based on the high-precision POPs analysis
September 1, 2005～
August 31, 2007
UK, Rothamsted
Research
Molecular methods for screening QoI resistance in powdery mildews in Japan
September 14, 2005～
September 13, 2007
Iran, Shahrekord
University
A study to improve consistency between morphological
and DNA-using identification of soil nematodes
November 23, 2005～
November 22, 2007
Benin
Microbial community on sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii
November 30, 2005～
November 29, 2007
Eco-Frontier Lao, National
Fellowship Agriculture and
Forestry Research
Institute
Socio-economic assessment of alternative land-use and
cropping scenarios in the slash/burn ecosystems in Lao
PDR
June 17, 2005～
October 16, 2005
Thai, King
Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
Modeling Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from
Agricultural Land in Asian Countries
August 1, 2005～
March 31, 2006
China, Institute of
Agriculture Resources and Regional Planning
Monitoring method for water pollution by nitrate nitrogen
November 8, 2005～
December 16, 2005
JSPS
India, University
Postdoctoral of Mysore
Fellowship
JICA
73
Invitations, Training and Information Events
3. Visitors
Date
Affiliation
Subject
Participants
August 1, 2005
Korea, Rural Development Administration
Inspection of Tsukuba Agricultural
Research Institutes
September 12, 2005
Korea, NIAST
Inspection of NIAES
6
March 22, 2005
Consideration Party of China-Japan
gricultural Science & Technology
Exchange Project
Investigation on the Safety Manegement of GMO
7
12
4. Training
Technical
Training
74
Affiliation
Research Subject
Duration
TA STEVIA Co.,
Ltd
Isolation and identification of natural bioactive chemicals
April 1, 2005～
December 28, 2005
Chiba University
Effect of free air CO2 Enrichment on growth and CH4
emission of rice
April 1, 2004～
September 30, 2004
Overseas Research and Meetings
1. Research Trips Overseas by NIAES Staffs (frequencies for each country)
China 17
Korea 17
Mongolia 4
Netherlands 1
France 1
Germany 2
Poland 1
Italy 1
Laos 1
Bangladesh 3
Thailand 12
Vietnam 3
Malaysia 2
Philippines 2
Indonesia 1
New
Zealand 1
2. Research Trips Overseas by NIAES Staff
Conference, Workshop and Research Meeting
Venue
Date
Participants
8th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of
Trace Elements
USA
April 2, 2005～
April 8, 2005
2
Conference on Antifungals:Discovery and Model of Action
UK
April 2, 2005～
April 8, 2005
1
74th Annual Meeting of American Association of Physical
Anthropologists
USA
April 6, 2005～
April 9, 2005
1
European Geoscience Union 2005
Austria
April 23, 2005～
May 1, 2005
3
5th International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable
Development
Spain
May 1, 2005～
May 7, 2005
3
Soil Ecology Society 10th Biennial International Conference
USA
May 22, 2005～
May 27, 2005
1
FFTC International Workshop on Newly Developed Innovative Technology for Soil and Water Conservation
Korea
May 30, 2005～
June 3, 2005
1
7th East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies Meeting
Philippines
May 31, 2005～
June 4, 2005
2
7th International Conference on Acid Deposition
Czech
June 12, 2005～
June 19, 2005
1
9th International Symposium on Neuropterology
Italy
June 19, 2005～
June 24, 2005
1
75
Invitations, Training and Information Events
Conference, Workshop and Research Meeting
Venue
Date
2nd Asia Conference on Plant Pathology
Singapore
June 24, 2005～
June 29, 2005
1
8th Symposium on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology
France
June 26, 2005～
July 1, 2005
3
2005 Gordon Research Conferences:Molybdenium & Tungsten Enzymes
UK
July 10, 2005～
July 16, 2005
1
17th International Botanical Congress
Austria
July 16, 2005～
July 23, 2005
1
8th International Symposium on the Microbiology of Aerial
Plant Surfaces
UK
July 23, 2005～
July 29, 2005
1
Micrological Society of America/Micrological Society of
Japan Joint Meeting 2005
USA
July 30, 2005～
August 6, 2005
1
9th International Congress of Ecology
Canada
August 6, 2005～
August 13, 2005
2
5th International Congress of Crop Science
Korea
August 10, 2005～
August 13, 2005
1
4th International Conference on Multiple Comparison Procedures
China
August 17, 2005～
August 20, 2005
1
4th World Congress on Allelopathy
Australia
August 20, 2005～
August 27, 2005
1
25th International Symposium on Halogenated Environmental Organic Pollutants and POPs
Canada
August 21, 2005～
August 28, 2005
3
4th International Congress on Pseudomonas
France
August 25, 2005～
September 2, 2005
1
12th Asian Symposium on Ecotechnology
China
August 27, 2005～
August 30, 2005
1
1st International Symposium on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Processing in the Assessment and Monitoring of
Land Degradation and Desertification
Germany
September 6, 2005 ～
September 11, 2005
1
International Symposium on Phytoremediation and Ecosystem Health
China
September 9, 2005～
September 13, 2005
1
15th International Plant Nutrition Colloquium
China
September 14, 2005～
September 20, 2005
4
7th International Carbon Dioxide Conference
USA
September 25, 2005～
October 2, 2005
3
3rd International Symposium on Intelligent Information
Technologies in Agriculture
China
October 13, 2005～
October 17, 2005
1
5th Asia-Pacific Congress of Entomology
Korea
October 17, 2005～
October 21, 2005
2
14th N Workshop
Netherlands
October 23, 2005～
October 27, 2005
1
76
Participants
Conference, Workshop and Research Meeting
Venue
Date
2005 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl
Bromide Alternative and Emissions Reductions
USA
October 30, 2005～
November 5, 2005
1
Japan-Taiwan Pedologists International Workshop
Taiwan
November 1, 2005～
November 7, 2005
4
7th Thailand National Plant Protection Conference and 20th
Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society Conference
Thailand,
Vietnam
November 1, 2005～
November 12, 2005
1
2005 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings
USA
November 5, 2005～
November 12, 2005
3
26th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing
Vietnam
November 6, 2005～
November 12, 2005
2
November 12, 2005～
November 19, 2005
1
SETAC North America 26th Annual Meeting
Participants
2005 International Conference on Paddy and Water Environment
Taiwan
November 15, 2005～
November 20, 2005
1
2005 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
USA
December 4, 2005～
December 11, 2005
2
2005 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies
USA
December 15, 2005～
December 22, 2005
2
2006 ECI Conference:Bioenergy-1
Portugal
March 6, 2006～
March 11, 2006
2
American Association of Physical Anthropologists 75th Annual Meeting
USA
March 7, 2006～
March 14, 2006
1
International Symposium on Risk Assessment and Management of Invasive Alien Species in Asia 2006
Vietnam
March 9, 2006～
March 12, 2006
1
3. Long-term Overseas Research Personnel
Name
Delegated Institution
Research Subject
Duration
OECD
Fellowship :
Cooperative
Research
Programme
Yasuyuki
Yoshimura
Canada, Agriculture and
Agri-food Canada's
Saskatoon Research
Centre
The ecology and distribution of
feral GM canola along
transportation routes from fields to
the exporting port in Canada
April 21, 2005～
October 21, 2005
NIAES
Overseas
Scholarship
Toshiya
Okuro
Germany, Rheinische
Friedrich- Wilhelms
University of Bonn
Modeling vegetation changes in
the semi-arid region of the Volta
Basin
March 25, 2005～
August 25, 2005
Takehiro
Yamanaka
USA, The Pennsylvania
University
Analysis for the metapopulation
structure of odonate species in
ponds of a Japanese rural area
September 27, 2005～
September 25, 2006
77
Appendix
Publications
1. Official publications
1) Bulletin of National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
2) Miscellaneous Publication of National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
3) NIAES Annual Report 2005
4) Major Research Topics of Agro-Environment (Japanese ed.) (Nogyo kankyo kenkyu seika
joho), No.22
5) Series of Agro-Environmental Research (Japanese ed.) (Nogyo kankyo kenkyu sosho), No.17
Utilization of Biological Function for Conservation of Agro-Esosystems (Nogyo seitaikei no
hozen ni muketa seibutsu kino no katsuyou)
6) Annual Report of National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (Japanese ed.) (Nogyo
kankyo gijutsu kenkyusho nenpo), No.22
7) NIAES News (Japanese ed.)（No-kan-ken nyusu), No.67 - No.70
2. Research Papers published by the NIAES staff
Scientific Papers
Proceedings (incl. Abstracts)
Others
English
Japanese
Others
English
Japanese
English
Japanese
Others
143
40
4
133
376
41
116
1
3. Research staff activities (English papers)
NIAES staff’s names are boldfaced.
Department of Global Resources
Akiyama, Hiroko, Kazuyuki Yagi, Xiaoyuan Yan
(2005) Direct N2O emissions from rice paddy
fields: summary of available data, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 19: GB1005, doi:10.1029/2004
GB002378
Breiling, Meinhard, Shizuka Hashimoto, Yohei Sato,
Gilbert Ahamer (2005) Rice-related greenhouse
gases in Japan, variations in scales and time and
significance for the Kyoto Protocol, Paddy and
Water Environment, 3(1): 39-46
Cheng, Weiguo, Kazuyuki Yagi, Hidemitsu Sakai,
Hua Xu, Kazuhiko Kobayashi (2005) Changes in
78
concentrations and d13C values of dissolved CH4,
CO2, and water-soluble organic carbon in rice
paddies under ambient and elevated concentrations
of atmospheric CO2, Organic Geochemistry, 36:
813-823
Cheng, Weiguo, Kazuyuki Yagi, Hidemitsu Sakai,
Hua Xu, Kazuhiko Kobayashi (2005) Influence of
elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 on
CH4 and CO2 entrapped in rice-paddy soil,
Chemical Geology, 218: 15-24
Cheng, Weiguo, Kazuyuki Yagi, Hidemitsu Sakai,
Kazuhiko Kobayashi (2006) Effects of elevated
CO2 concentrations on CH4 and N2O emission
from rice soil: an experiment in controlled- envi-
ronment chambers, Biogeochemistry, 77: 351-373
Chiwaki, Kenji, Shigeyuki Nagamori, Yoshio Inoue
(2005) Predicting bacterial wilt disease of tomato
plants using remotely sensed thermal imagery,
Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, 61: 153-163
Chu, Haiyan, Yasukazu Hosen, Kazuyuki Yagi, Kensuke
Okada, Osamu Ito (2005) Soil microbial biomass
and activities in a Japanese Andisol as affected by
controlled release and application depth of urea,
Biology and Fertility of Soils, 42: 89-96
Davidson, Glen, Kazuo Ouchi, Genya Saito, Naoki
Ishituka, Kentaro Mohri, Seiho Uratsuka (2006)
Single‐look classification accuracy for polarimetric SAR, International Journal of Remote
Sensing,
http://journalsonline.tandf.co.uk/openurl.asp?genre
=article&id=doi:10.1080/01431160500056816
Du, Mingyuan, Seiichiro Yonemura, Zhibao Shen,
Yanbo Shen, Wanfu Wang, Yutaka Yamada, Taichi
Maki, Shigeto Kawashima, Satoshi Inoue (2005)
Tillage effects on aeolian dust emission in bare agricultural fields at Dunhuang, China, Journal of
Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5):503-506
Gu, Song, Yanhong Tang, Xiaoyong Cui, Tomomichi
Kato, Mingyuan Du, Yingnian Li, Xingquan Zhao
(2005) Energy exchange between the atmosphere
and a meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan
Plateau, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology,
129(3-4): 175-185
Han, Gwang Hyun, Hisashi Yoshikoshi, Hideyuki Nagai, Tomoyasu Yamada, Makoto Saito, Akira
Miyata, Yoshinobu Harazono (2005) Concentration and carbon isotope profiles of CH4 in paddy
rice canopy: Isotopic evidence for changes in CH4
emission pathways upon drainage, Chemical Geology, 218: 25-40
Han, Gwang Hyun, Hisashi Yoshikoshi, Hideyuki Nagai, Tomoyasu Yamada, Makoto Saito, Akira
Miyata, Yoshinobu Harazono (2005) Late growing-season CH4 budget in a rice paddy determined
by stable isotope, emission flux, and soil storage
measurements, Organic Geochemistry, 36:
789-801
Kawashima, Shigeto, Kazuto Mastuo, Mingyuan Du,
Yuichi Takahashi, Satoshi Inoue, Seiichiro Yonemura (2005) An algorithm for estimating potential deposition of corn pollen, Environmental
Biosafety Research, 3(4): 197-207
Kawashima, Shigeto, Toshio Fujita, Kazuto Mastuo,
Hiroyuki Shibaike, Mingyuan Du, Seiichiro
Yonemura (2005) Variation feature of airborne
corn pollen number obtained by the automatic
pollen monitor, Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5): 1033-1036
Khan, Nasir M., Victor V. Rastoskuev, Yohei Sato, S.
Shiozawa (2005) Assessment of hydrosaline land
degradation by using a simple approach of remote
sensing indicators, Agricultural Water Management, 77: 96-109
Liang, Zhao, Yingnian Li, Xingquan Zhao, Shixiao Xu,
Yanhong Tang, Guirui Yu, Song Gu, Mingyuan
Du, Qinxue Wang (2005) Seasonal patterns of
gross primary production and ecosystem respiration in an alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Science Bulletin,50(16): 1767-1774
Maki, Taichi, Mingyuan Du (2005) Characteristics of
meteorological alleviation by a reed straw-mat
network in summer and autumn at Dunhuang desert in China, Journal of Agricultural Meteorology,60 (5): 485-490
Miyata, Akira, Toru Iwata, Hideyuki Nagai, Tomoyasu
Yamada, Hisashi Yoshikoshi, Masayoshi Mano,
Keisuke Ono, Gwang Hyun Han, Yoshinobu
Harazono, Eiji Ohtaki, Md. Abdul Baten, Sachiko
Inohara, Takahiro Takimoto, Makoto Saito (2005)
Seasonal variation of carbon dioxide and methane
fluxes at single cropping paddy fields in central
and western Japan, Phyton, 45(4): 89-97
Morita, Shigenori, Takeo Sakagaichi, Jun Abe, Kazuhiko
Kobayashi, Masumi Okada, Hiroyuki Shimono,
Yasuhiro Yamakawa, Han-Yong Kim, Toshihiro
Hasegawa (2005) Structure and function of rice
root system under FACE condition, Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5): 961-964
Nishihara, Eiji, Mohammad Masud Parvez, Hiroshi
Araya, Shigeto Kawashima, Yoshiharu Fujii
(2005)
L-3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)
alanine
(L-DOPA), an allelochemical exuded from velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens) roots, Plant Growth
Regulation, 45(2): 113-120
Nishimura, Seiichi, Takuji Sawamoto, Hiroko Akiyama, Shigeto Sudo, Weiguo Cheng, Kazuyuki
Yagi (2005) Continuous, automated nitrous oxide
measurements from paddy soils converted to upland crops, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 69(6): 1977-1986
Nouchi, Isamu, Seiichiro Yonemura (2005) N2O, CO2
and CH4 fluxes from soybean and barley double
cropping in relation to tillage in Japan, Phyton,
45(4): 327-338
Okamoto, Katsuo, Junko Shindo, Hiroyuki Kawashima (2005) Analysis of rapid land-use/landcover change in Northeastern China using Landsat
79
Appendix
TM/ETM+ data, Wit Transactions on Ecology and
the Environment, 553-561
Olioso, Albert, Yoshio Inoue, Samuel Ortega-Farias,
Jerome Demarty, Jean-Pierre Wigneron Isabelle
Braud, Frederic Jacob, Patrice Lecharpentier,
Catherine Ottle, Jean-Christoph Calvet, Nadine
Brisson (2006) Future directions for advanced
evapotranspiration modeling: Assimilation of remote sensing data into crop simulation models and
SVAT models, Irrigation and Drainage Systems,
19: 377-412
Oue, Hiroki, Mayumi Yoshimoto, Kazuhiko Kobayashi
(2005) Effects of free-air CO2 enrichment on leaf
and panicle temperatures of rice at heading and
flowering stage, Phyton, 45(4): 117-124
Oura, Noriko, Junko Shindo, Tamon Fumoto, Hideshige Toda, Hiroyuki Kawashima (2005) Effect of
nitrogen deposition on nitrogen cycle in the
plant-soil system and N2O emissions from the forest floors, Proceedings of N2004: The Third International Nitrogen Conference, 620-625
Prasad, V. Krishna, Prabhat.K.Gupta, Chhemendaera.
Sharma, Yogesh Kant, Shigeto Sudo, Seiichiro
Yonemura, Haruo Tsuruta, Krishna V.S. Badarinath (2005) Greenhouse gas emission inventory
from Biomass burning due to shifting cultivation
in India, Trends in Environmental Pollution : Edited by James V. Livingston, 1-26
Purunomo, Errym, Athaillah Mursyid, Muhrizal Syarwani, Ahmadi Jumberi, Yasuyuki Hashidoko, Toshihiro Hasegawa, Saori Honma, Mitsuru Osaki
(2005) Phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms in
the rihizosphere of local rice varieties grown
without fertilizer on acid sulfate soils., Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51: 679-681
Quilang, E. J. P., Taichi Maki, Mingyuan Du (2005)
Dust storm monitoring in spring at Dunhuang,
China, Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5):
507-512
Quilang, E. J. P., Taichi Maki, Mingyuan Du (2005)
Variation characteristics of meteorological factors
during dust storm at Dunhuang, China, Journal of
the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University,
50(1): 189-199
Saito, Makoto, Akira Miyata, Hideyuki Nagai, Tomoyasu Yamada (2005) Seasonal variation of carbon
dioxide exchange in rice paddy field in Japan, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 135: 93-109
Sakamoto, Toshihiro, Masayuki Yokozawa, Hitoshi
Toritani, Michio Shibayama, Naoki Ishitsuka,
Hiroyuki Ohno (2005) A crop phenology detection method using time-series MODIS data, Re-
80
mote Sensing of Environment, 96: 366-374
Sakamoto, Toshihiro, Nhan Van Nguyen, Hiroyuki
Ohno, Naoki Ishitsuka, Masayuki Yokozawa
(2006) Spatio-temporal distribution of rice
phenology and cropping systems in the Mekong
Delta with special reference to the seasonal water
flow of the Mekong and Bassac rivers, Remote
Sensing of Environment, 100: 1-16
Shen, Yanbo, Zhibao Shen, Mingyuan Du, Wanfu Wang
(2005) Dust emission over different land surface in
the arid region of Northwest China, Journal of the
Meteorological Society of Japan, 83(6): 935-942
Shindo, Junko, Katsuo Okamoto, Hideshige Toda,
Hiroyuki Kawashima (2005) Nitrogen load and
water quality estimation by an Eastern Asia scale
model, Proceedings of N2004: The Third International Nitrogen Conference, 871-875
Shindo, Junko, Katsuo Okamoto, Hiroyuki Kawashima (2005) A model based estimation of the effect of population concentration of the urban areas
in eastern Asia in terms of nitrogen pollution,
Ecosystems and Sustainable Development, edited
by Tiezzi, E. et al., 81: 115-123
Shindo, Junko, Katsuo Okamoto, Hiroyuki Kawashima (2006) Prediction of the environmental effects of excess nitrogen caused by increasing food
demand with rapid economic growth in eastern
Asian countries, 1961-2020, Ecological Modeling,
193: 703-720
Shirato, Yasuhito (2005) Testing the suitability of the
DNDC model for simulating long-term soil organic carbon dynamics in Japanese paddy soils,
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(2): 183-192
Shirato, Yasuhito, Masayuki Yokozawa (2005) Applying the Rothamsted Carbon Model for long-term
experiments on Japanese paddy soils and modifying it by simple tuning of the decomposition rate,
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(3): 405-415
Shuimono, Hiryoyuki, Toshihiro Hasegawa, Masahisa
Moriyama, Shigeto Fujimura, Takayuki Nagata
(2005) Modeling spikelet sterility induced by low
tempterature in rice, Agronomy Journal, 97(6):
1524-1536
Suh, Sang-Uk, Yong-Moon Chun, Namyi Chae, Joon
Kim, Masayuki Yokozawa, Mi-Sun Lee, Jae-Seok
Lee (2006) A chamber system with automatic
opening and closing for continuously measuring
soil respiration based on an open-flow dynamic
method, Ecological Research, doi: 10.1007/s
11284-005-0137-7
Takahashi, R., H. Matsumura, S. Watanabe, K. Harada,
M. Senda, S. Akada, S. Kawasaki, E. Doubouzet,
N. Minaka (2005) Molecular linkage mapping and
phylogeny of chalcone synthase multigene family
in soybean, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 110:
1203-1209
Tanaka, Yukio, Yohei Sato (2005) Farmers managed
irrigation districts in Japan: Assessing how fairness
may contribute to sustainability, Agricultural Water
Management, 77: 196-209
Tanimoto, Hiroshi, Yousuke Sawa, Hidekazu Matsueda,
Izushi Uno, Takehisa Ohara, Kyoko Yamaji, Jun
Kurokawa, Seiichiro Yonemura (2005) Significant latitudinal gradient in the surface ozone
spring maximum over East Asia,Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L21805, doi:10.1029/2005
GL023514
Toda, Hideshige, T. Takatsu, K. Wakahara, H. Kaneko,
M. Inatomi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Junko Shindo, Katsuo Okamoto, Hiroyuki Kawashima (2005) Effect of nitrogen addition to forest floor on nitrate
concentration of soil water, Proceedings of N2004:
The Third International Nitrogen Conference,
519-522
Xu, Shixiao, Xinquan Zhao, Yingnian Li, Liang Zhao,
Guirui Yu, Guangmin Cao, Yanhong Tang, Song
Gu, Qinxue Wang, Mingyuan Du (2005) Characterizing CO2 fluxes for growing and non-growing
seasons in a shrub ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau, Science in China (D-Earth Science), 48S:
133-140
Yagi, Kazuyuki, Katsuyuki Minami (2005) Challenges
of reducing excess nitrogen in Japanese agroecosystems, Science in China, 48: 928-936
Yan, Xiaoyuan, Hiroko Akiyama, Kazuyuki Yagi,
Hazime Akiymoto (2005) Statistical analysis of the
major variables controlling methane emission from
rice fields, Global Change Biology, 11: 1131-1141
Yonemura, Seiichiro, Lisseth Sandoval-Soto, Juergen
Kesselmeier, Uwe Kuhn, Mark von Hobe, Shigeto
Kawashima (2005) Uptake of carbonyl sulfide
(COS) and emission of dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) by
plants, Phyton, 45: 17-24
Yonemura, Seiichiro, Mingyuan Du, Zhibao Shen,
Yanbo Shen, Wanfu Wang, Taichi Maki, Shigeto
Kawashima, Satoshi Inoue (2005) Time series
analyses of dust concentrations measured at Dunhuang Gobi desert site: Analyses of asymmetry
property of dust concentration index, Journal of
Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5): 1049-1052
Yoshimoto, Mayumi, Hiroki Oue, Kazuhiko Kobayashi
(2005) Energy balance and water use efficiency of
rice canopies under free-air CO2 enrichment, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 133: 226-246
Yoshimoto, Mayumi, Hiroki Oue, Noriko Takahashi,
Kazuhiko Kobayashi (2005) The effects of FACE
(Free-Air CO2 Enrichment) on temperature and
transpiration of rice panicles at flowering stage,
Journal of Agricultural Meteorology, 60(5):
597-600
Department of Biological Safety
Adachi, Minako, Yukiko Sakata-Bekku, Akihiro
Konuma, Wan Rashidah Kadir, Toshinori Okuda,
Hiroshi Koizumi (2005) Required sample size for
estimating soil respiration rates in large areas of
two tropical forests and of two types of plantation
in Malaysia, Forest Ecology and Management,
201: 455-459
Aida, Miki, Hiroaki Ikeda, Kazuyuki Itoh, Kenji Usui
(2006) Effects of five rice herbicides on growth of
two threatened aquatic ferns, Ecotoxicology and
Environmental Safety, 63(3): 463-468
Fujii, Yoshiharu, Akihiro Furubayashi, Syuntaro
Hiradate (2005) Rhizosphere soil method: a new
bioassay to evaluate allelopathy in the field, Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Allelopathy,
4: 490-492
Fujii, Yoshiharu, Minoru Matsuyama, Syuntaro
Hiradate, Hideki Shimozawa (2005) Dish pack
method: a new bioassay for volatile allelopathy,
Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Allelopathy, 4: 493-497
Fujii, Yoshiharu, Syuntaro Hiradate (2005) A critical
survey of allelochemicals in action: the importance
of total activity and the weed suppression eauation.,
Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Allelopathy, 4: 73-76
Fukaya, Midori, Toshiharu Akino, Hiroe Yasui, Tetsuya
Yasuda, Sadao Wakamura, Kohji Yamamura
(2005) Effects of size and color of female models
for male mate orientation in the white-spotted
longicorn beetle Anoplophora malasiaca (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Applied Entomology and
Zoology, 40(3): 513-519
Furubayashi, Akihiro, Syuntaro Hiradate, Yoshiharu
Fujii (2005) Adsorption and transformation reactions of L-DOPA in soils, Soil Science and Plant
Nutrition, 51(6): 819-825
Hiradate, Syuntaro (2005) Structural changes of allophane during purification procedures as determined by solid-state 27Al and 29Si NMR, Clays and
Clay Minerals, 53(6): 653-658
Hiradate, Syuntaro, Akihiro Furubayashi, Yoshiharu
Fujii (2005) Changes in chemical structure and
81
Appendix
biological activity of L-DOPA as influenced by an
Andosol and its components, Soil Science and
Plant Nutrition, 51(4): 477-484
Hiradate, Syuntaro, Shin-Ichiro Wada (2005) Weathering process of volcanic glass into allophane determined by 27Al and 29Si solid state NMR, Clays and
Clay Minerals, 53(4): 401-408
Hiradate, Syuntaro, Tsunashi Kamo, Eri Nakajima,
Kenji Kato, Yoshiharu Fujii (2005) Direct quantitative determination of cyanamide by stable isotope dilution gas chromatography—mass spectrometry, Journal of Chromatography A,
1098(1-2): 138-143
Hoshino, Yuko T., Naoyuki Matsumoto (2005) Skim
milk drastically improves the efficacy of DNA extraction from Andisol, a volcanic ash soil, Japan
Agricultural Research Quarterly, 39(4): 247-252
Ikeda, Ken-ichi, Hitoshi Nakamura, Naoyuki Matsumoto (2005) Comparison between Rosellinia necatrix from soil and diseased roots in terms of
virulence, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 54(2):
307-315
Luo, Xiao-Yong, Hiroaki Ikeda (2005) Effects of four
rice herbicides on seed germination and seedling
growth of a threatened vascular plant Penthorum
chinense Pursh, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 75(2): 382-389
Morita, Akio, Osamu Yanagisawa, Syuntaro Hiradate
(2005) Speciation of low molecular weight aluminum complexes in roots of tea plant (Camellia
sinensis L.), Plant Nutrition for Food Security,
Human Health and Environmental Protection,
728-729
Morita, Sayaka, Syuntaro Hiradate, Yoshiharu Fujii,
Jiro Harada (2005) cis-Cinnamoyl glucoside as a
major plant growth inhibitor contained in Spiraea
prunifolia, Plant Growth Regulation, 46(2):
125-131
Murakami, Yoshiteru, Hajime Sugie, Takehiko Fukumoto,
Fumiaki Mochizuki (2005) Sex pheromone of
Grapholita komai (Lepidoptera: tortricidae), and
its utilization for monitoring, Applied Entomology
and Zoology, 40(3): 521-527
Nagata, Yuji, Muneaki Matsuda, Harunobu Komatsu,
Yoshiyuki Imura, Hiroyuki Sawada, Yoshiyuki
Ohtsubo, Masataka Tsuda (2005) Organization and
localization of the dnaA and dnaK gene regions on
the multichromosomal genome of Burkholderia
multivorans ATCC 17616, Journal of Bioscience
and Bioengineering, 99(6): 603-610
Naito, Yoko, Akihiro Konuma, Hiroyoshi Iwata, Yoshihisa Suyam, Kenji Seiwa, Toshinori Okuda, Soon
82
Leong Lee, Norwati Muhammad, Yoshihiko Tsumura (2005) Selfing and inbreeding depression in
seeds and seedlings of Neobalanocarpus heimii
(Dipterocarpaceae), Journal of Plant Research,
118(6): 423-430
Naka, Hideshi, Takayuki Mitsunaga, Atsushi Mochizuki
(2005) Laboratory hybridization between the introduced and the indigenous green lacewings
(Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Chrysoperla) in Japan,
Environmental Entomology, 34(3): 727-731
Nasir, Habib, Zahida Iqbal, Syuntaro Hiradate, Yoshiharu Fujii (2005) Allelopathic potential of
Robinia pseudo-acacia L., Journal of Chemical
Ecology,31(9): 2179-2192
Okada, Hiroaki, Hiroki Harada, Ikuo Kadota (2005)
Fungal-feeding habits of six nematode isolates in
the genus Filenchus, Soil Biology & Biochemistry,
37(6): 1113-1120
Okada, Hiroaki, Hiroki Harada, Takao Tsukiboshi,
Masaaki Araki (2006) Characteristics of Tylencholaimus parvus (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) as a
fungivorus nematode, Nematology, 7(6): 843-849
Shindo, Haruo, Miho Yoshida, Akio Yamamoto, Hiromi
Honma, Syuntaro Hiradate (2005) δ13C values of
organic constituents and possible source of humic
substances in Japanese volcanic ash soils, Soil
Science, 170(3): 175-182
Shiraishi, Sayaka, Izumi Watanabe, Katsuji Kuno, Yoshiharu Fujii (2005) Evaluation of allelopathic
activity of five Oxalidaceae cover plants and the
demonstration of potnet weed suppresdsion by
Oxalis species, Weed Biology and Management,
5(3): 128-136
Suzaki, Kouichi, Ken-ichi Ikeda, Atsuko Sasaki, Satoko
Kanematsu, Naoyuki Matsumoto, Kouji Yoshida
(2005) Horizontal transmission and host-virulence
attenuation of totivirus in violet root rot fungus
Helicobasidium mompa, Journal of General Plant
Pathology, 71(2): 161-168
Tabata, Jun, Yukio Ishikawa (2005) Genetic basis to
divergence of sex pheromones in two closely related moths, Ostrinia scapulalis and O. zealis,
Journal of Chemical Ecology, 31(5): 1111-1124
Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori, Takako Kato, Yoshiharu Fujii,
Hirofumi Hashimoto, Teruko Nakamura, Masamichi Yamashita (2005) Response of allelochemicals under pseudo-microgravity, Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Allelopathy,
4:462-465
Tsuda, Kumiko, Noriko Takamura, Minoru Matsuyama,
Yoshiharu Fujii (2005) Assessment method for
leaf litters allelopathic effect on Cyanobacteria,
Journal of Aquatic Plant Management, 43: 43-46
Wakamura, Sadao, Norio Arakaki, Masanobu Yamamoto,
Syuntaro Hiradate, Hiroe Yasui, Kunio Kinjo,
Tetsuya Yasuda, Hiroyuki Yamazawa, Tetsu Ando
(2005) Sex pheromone and related compounds in
the Ishigaki and Okinawa strains of the tussock
moth Orgyia postica (Walker) (Lepidoptera:
Lymantriidae), Bioscience, Biotechnology, and
Biochemistry, 65(5): 957-965
Watanabe, Toshihiro, Seiji Misawa, Syuntaro Hiradate,
Steven Jansen, Mitsuru Osaki (2005) The characteristics of aluminum uptake in roots of Melastoma
malabathricum, an aluminum accumulating plant,
Plant Nutrition for Food Security, Human Health
and Environmental Protection, 746-747
Yamamura, Kohji, Masayuki Yokozawa, Motoki Nishimori, Yasuo Ueda, Tomoyuki Yokosuka (2006)
How to analyze long-term insect population dynamics under climate change: 50-year data of three
insect pests in paddy fields, Population Ecology,
48(1): 31-48
Yara, Kaori (2006) Identification of Torymus sinensis
and T. beneficus (Hymenoptera: Torymidae), introduced and indigenous parasitoids of the chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), using the ribosomal ITS2 region,
Biological Control, 36(1): 15-21
Yasuda, Nobuko, Masako T. Noguchi, Yoshikatsu
(2005) Identification of an avirulence gene in the
fungus Magnaporthe grisea corresponding to resistance gene at Pik locus, Phytopathology, 95(7):
768-772
Department of Environmental Chemistry
Ahmad, Riaz, Hidetaka Katou, Rai S. Kookana (2005)
Measuring sorption of hydrophilic organic compounds in soils by an unsaturated transient flow
method, Journal of Environmental Quality, 34(3):
1045-1054
Arao, Tomohito, Satoru Ishikawa (2006) Genotypic
differences in cadmium and distribution of soybean and rice, Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly, 40: 21-30
Ezawa, Tatsuhiro, Masahito Hayatsu, Masanori Saito
(2005) A new hypothesis on the strategy for acquisition of phosphorus in arbuscular mycorrhiza:
up-regulation of secreted acid phosphatase gene in
the host plant, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 18: 1046-1053
Faize, Mohamed, Lydia Faize, Masumi Ishizaka,
Hideo Ishii (2004) Expression of potential defense
responses of Asian and European pears to infection
with Venturia nashicola, Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 64(6): 319-330
Fujii, Takeshi, Kiyotaka Miyashita, Ryo Ohtomo, Akihiro Saito (2005) A DNA-binding protein involved
in the regulation of chitinase production in Streptomyces lividans, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and
Biochemistry, 69(4): 790-799
Harada, Naoki, Kazuhiro Takagi, Kunihiko Fujii, Akio
Iwasaki (2006) Isolation and characterization of
microorganisms capable of hydrolysing the herbicide mefenacet., Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 38:
173-179
Hayashi, Kentaro, Masanori Okazaki (2005) Relationships between the high aluminum concentration in
soil solution and other chemical properties of
acidic soil in Kumagaya, central Japan, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(5): 655-658
Hideo Ishii (2005) Resistance management strategies for
fungicides, Environmental Fate and Safety Management of Agrochemicals (ACS Symposium Series 899), 280-288
Ibaraki, Toshiyuki, Kazuhiro Kadoshige, Masaharu
Murakami (2005) Evaluation of extraction methods for plant-available soil cadmium to wheat by
several extraction methods in cadmium-polluted
paddy field, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition,
51(6): 893-898
Ishikawa, Satoru, Noriharu Ae, Masaharu Murakami,
Tadao Wagatsuma (2006) Is Brassica juncea a
suitable plant for phytoremediation of Cd in soils
with moderately low Cd contamination?
—Possibility of using other plant species for
Cd-phytoextraction—, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 52(1): 32-42
Ishikawa, Satoru, Noriharu Ae, Masahiro Yano
(2005) Chromosomal regions with quntitative trait
loci controlling cadmium concentration in brown
rice (Oryza sativa), New Phytologist, 168:
345-350
Ishizuka, Shigehiro, Anas Iswandi, Yasuhiro Nakajima,
Seiichiro Yonemura, Shigeto Sudo, Haruo Tsuruta, Daniel Muldiyarso (2005) Spatial patterns of
greenhouse gas emission in a tropical rainforest in
Indonesia, Nutrient Cycles in Agroecosystems, 71:
55-62
Ishizuka, Shigehiro, Anas Iswandi, Yasuhiro Nakajima,
Seiichiro Yonemura, Shigeto Sudo, Haruo Tsuruta, Daniel Muldiyarso (2005) The variation of
greenhouse gas emissions from soils of various
land-use/cover types in Jambi province, Indonesia,
Nutrient Cycles in Agroecosystems, 71: 17-32
83
Appendix
Jaward, Foday M., Gan Zhang, Jae Jak Nam, Andrew J.
Sweetman, Jeffrey P. Obbard, Yuso Kobara,
Kevin C. Jones (2005) Passive air sampling of
polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine compounds, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers
across Asia, Environmental Science & Technology,
39(22): 8638-8645
Jaward, Foday M., Jae Jak Nam, Gan Zhang, Jeff Obbard,
Yuso Kobara, Kevin C. Jones (2005) Passive air
sampling of PCBs, organochlorine compounds,
Organohalogen Compounds, 67: 1078-1080
Kobara, Yuso, Motoki Nishimori, Wei Yongfen,
Satoru Ishihara, Atsushi Yokoyama, Kazuhisa
Ohtsu (2005) Evaluation of surface adsorption on
water droplets in the atmosphere of semivolatile
pesticides, Organohalogen Compounds, 67: 19041907
Lang, Gang-hua, Naoto Ogawa, Yusuke Tanaka, Takeshi Fujii, Roberta R. Fulthorpe, Masao Fukuda,
Kiyotaka Miyashita (2005) Two kinds of
chloroctechol 1,2-dioxygenase from 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetate-degrading Sphingomonas sp.
strain TFD44, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 332(4): 941-948
Liu, Shenghao, Naoto Ogawa, Toshiya Senda, Akira
Hasebe, Kiyotaka Miyashita (2005) Amino acids
in positions 48, 52, and 73 differentiate the substrate specificities of the highly homologous
chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenases, CbnA and TcbC,
Journal of Bacteriology, 187(15): 5427-5436
Maejima, Yuji, Hiroyuki Matsuzaki, Teruo Higashi
(2005) Application of cosmogenic 10Be to dating
soils on the raised coral reef terraces of Kikai Island, southwest Japan, Geoderma, 126(3-4): 389399
Mishima, Shinichiro, Satoru Taniguchi, Akira Kawasaki, Michio Komada (2005) Estimation of zinc
and copper balance in Japanese farmland soil associated with the application of chemical fertilizers
and livestock excreta, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(3): 437-442
Morimoto, Sho, Kazuki Togami, Naoto Ogawa, Akira
Hasebe, Takeshi Fujii (2005) Analysis of a bacterial community in 3-chlorobenzoate-contaminated
soil by PCR-DGGE targeting the 16S rRNA gene
and benzoate 1.2-dioxygenase gene (benA), Microbes and Environments, 20(3): 151-159
Nakajima, Yasuhiro, Shigehiro Ishizuka, Haruo Tsuruta, Anas Iswandi, Daniel Muldiyarso (2005)
Microbial processes responsible for nitrous oxide
production from acid soils in different land-use
patterns in Pasirmayang, central Sumatra, Indone-
84
sia, Nutrient Cycles in Agroecosystems, 71: 33-42
Ohtomo, Ryo, Masanori Saito (2005) Polyphosphate
dynamics in mycorrhizal roots during colonization
of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, New Phytologist, 167: 571-578
Ozawa, Kazuhiko, Hiroki Fujioka, Minoru Muranaka,
Atsushi Yokoyama, Yukimi Katagami, Takamitsu
Homma, Kanako Ishikawa, Shigeo Tsujimura,
Michio Kumagai, Mariyo F. Watanabe, Ho-Dong
Park (2005) Spatial distribution and temporal
variation of Microcystis species composition and
microcystin concentration in Lake Biwa, Environmental Toxicology, 20(3): 270-276
Saito, Akihiro, Kaku Hanae, Minami Eiiti, Takeshi Fujii,
Akikazu Ando, Nagata Yoshiho, Hildegung
Schrempf, Kiyotaka Miyashitra (2006) An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the specificity of the sugar-binding protein
NgcE, a component of the ABC transporter for
N-acetylglucosamine in Streptomyces olivaceoviridis, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry,
70(1): 237-242
Saito, Katsuharu, Ryo Ohtomo, Yukari Kuga-Uetake,
Toshihiro Aono, Masanori Saito (2005) A direct
labeling of polyphosphate at ultrastructural level in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae using an affinity of
polyphosphate binding domain of Escherichia coli
exopolyphosphatase, Applied and Environmental
Microbiology, 71: 5692-5701
Sato, Kouichi, Yoshihisa Suyama, Masanori Saito, Kazuo Sugawara (2005) A new primer for discrimination of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with
PCR-DGGE, Grassland Science, 51: 179-181
Sawamoto, Takuji, Yasuhiro Nakajima, Masahiro Kasuya, Haruo Tsuruta, Kazuyuki Yagi (2005)
Evaluation of emission factors for indirect N2O
emission due to nitrogen leaching in agro- ecosystems, Geophysical Research Letters, L03403
Seike, Nobuyasu, Tetsuhisa Miwa, Takashi Otani,
Masako Ueji (2005) Levels of dioxins in Japanese
fruit in 1999 to 2002 and estimation of their intake,
Journal of Food Hygienics Society of Japan, 46(6):
256-262
Takeuchi, Makoto, Sunao Iathashi, Masanori Saito,
(2005) A water quality analysis system to evaluate
the impact of agricultural activities on N outflow
in river basins in Japan, Science in China Ser. C
Life Sciences, 48, Supp. I: 100-109
Tournebize, Julien, Hirozumi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Takagi, Taku Nishimura (2006) The development of
a coupled model (PCPF-SWMS) to simulate water
flow and pollutant transport in Japanese paddy
fields, Paddy and Water Environment, 4(1): 39-51
Uegaki, Ryuichi, Nobuyasu Seike, Takashi Otani
(2005) Annual mass balance of dioxins in a Japanese paddy field, Japanese Society of Grassland
Science, 51: 215-221
Uegaki, Ryuichi, Nobuyasu Seike, Takashi Otani
(2005) Annual mass balance of dioxins in a Japanese paddy field, Organohalogen Compounds, 67:
1993-1996
Vu, Son Hong, Hirozumi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Takagi
(2005) Application of FAO-56 for evaluating
evapotranspiration in simulation of pollutant runoff from paddy rice field in Japan, Agricultural
Water Management, 76: 195-210
Watanabe, Hirozumi, Kazuhiro Takagi, Son Hong Vu
(2006) Simulation of mefenacet concentrations in
paddy field by an improved PCPF-1 model, Pest
Management Science, 62: 20-29
Natural Resources Inventory Center
Ando, Sugihiro, Takahiro Asano, Seiya Tsushima,
Shinichiro Kamachi, Takashi Hagio, Yutaka Tabei
(2005) Changes in gene expression of putative
isopentenyltransferase during clubroot development in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.),
Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 67:
59-67
Ando, Sugihiro, Tomohiro Yamada, Takahiro Asano,
Shinichiro Kamachi, Seiya Tsushima, Takashi
Hagio, Yutaka Tabei (2005) Molecular cloning of
PbSTKL1 gene from Plasmodiophora brassicae
expressed during clubroot development, Journal of
Phytopathology, 154: 185-189
Fujinaga, Masashi, Hideki Ogiso, Hirosuke Shinohara,
Seiya Tsushima, Norio Nishimura, Masayuki Togawa, Hideki Saito, Masayuki Nozue (2005) Phylogenetic relationships between the lettuce root rot
pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae
Races 1, 2, and 3 based on the sequence of the intergenic spacer region of its ribosomal DNA,
Journal of General Plant Pathology, 71(6):
402-407
Koitanbashi, Motoo (2005) New biocontrol method for
parsley powdery mildew by antifungal volatiles-producing fungus, Kyu-W63, Journal of
General Plant Pathology, 71(4): 280-284
Chemical Analysis Research Center
Baba, Koji, Taka-aki Okamura, Chie Suzuki, Hitoshi
Yamamoto, Tetsuo Yamamoto, Mitsuo Ohama,
Norikazu Ueyama (2006) O-Atom-transfer oxidation of [Molybdenum (IV) Oxo {3,6(acylamino) 2-1, 2-benzenedithiolato} 2 ] 2- promoted by intramolecular NH···S hydrogen bonds,
Inorganic Chemistry, 45(2): 894-901
Eun, Heesoo, Tadashi Sekino, Hirokazu Nishijima, Eiki
Watanabe, Koji Baba, Tomohito Arao, Shozo
Endo (2005) Clean-up of interfering spices for
dioxins analysis, Organohalogen Compounds,
67(2): 112-116
Hotokezaka, Hiroyasu, Noboru Aoyagi, Yasuhiro Kawahara, Noriko Yamaguchi, Shinya Nagasaki, Ken
Sasaki, Satoru Tanaka (2005) Selective in-situ determination of carbonate and oxide particles in
aqueous solution using laser-induced breakdown
spectroscopy (LIBS) for wearable information
equipment, Microsystem Technologies, 11(8-10):
974-979
Ikenaka, Yoshinori, Heesoo Eun, Eiki Watanabe, Fujio
Kumon, Yuichi Miyabara (2005) Estimation of
sources and inflow of dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the sediment core of
Lake Suwa, Japan, Environmental Pollution,
138(3): 529-537
Ikenaka, Yoshinori, Heesoo Eun, Eiki Watanabe, Yuichi Miyabara (2005) Sources, distribution, and inflow pattern of dioxins in the bottom sediment of
Lake Suwa, Japan, Bulletin of Environmental
Contamination and Toxicology, 75(2): 915-921
Kajiwara, Hideyuki, Yoko Ito, Atsue Imamaki, Masatoshi Nakamura, Kazuei Mita, Masami Ishizaka
(2005) Protein profile of silkworm midgut of
fifth-instar day-3 larvae, Journal of Electrophoresis,
49(2): 61-69
Kawakami, Tsuyoshi, Masumi Ishizaka, Yasuo Ishii,
Heesoo Eun, Jyunji Miyazaki, Kenji Tamura,
Teruo Higashi (2005) Concentration and distribution of several pesticides applied to paddy fields in
water and sediment, from Sugao Marsh, Japan,
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology, 74(5): 954-961
Takahashi, Yoshio, Kouichi Yuita, Nobuharu Kihou,
Hiroshi Shimizu, Masaharu Nomura (2005) Determination of the Ce(IV)/Ce(III)
ratio by
XANES in soil horizons and its comparison with
the degree of Ce anomaly, Physica Scripta, T115:
936-939
Watanabe, Eiki, Heesoo Eun, Koji Baba, Tomohito
Arao, Shozo Endo, Masako Ueji, Yasuo Ishii
(2005) Synthesis of haptens for development of
antibodies to alkylphenols and evaluation and optimization of selected antibody for ELISA devel-
85
Appendix
opment, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(19): 7395-7403
Watanabe, Eiki, Koji Baba, Heesoo Eun, Tomohito
Arao, Yasuo Ishii, Masako Ueji, Shozo Endo
(2005) Evaluation of a commercial immunoassay
for the detection of chlorfenapyr in agricultural
samples by comparison with gas chromatography
with mass spectrometric detection, Journal of
Chromatography A, 1074(1-2): 145-153
Watanabe, Eiki, Koji Baba, Heesoo Eun, Tomohito
Arao, Yasuo Ishii, Masako Ueji, Shozo Endo
(2006) Evaluation of performance of a commercial
monoclonal antibody-based fenitrothion immunoassay and application to residual analysis in fruit
samples, Journal of Food Protection, 69(1):
191-198
Yamaguchi, Noriko, Hiroyasu Hotokezaka, Shinya Nagasaki, Satoru Tanaka (2005) Direct quantitative
analysis of particulate aluminum suspended in
water using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy,
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(6): 565-571
Yamaguchi, Noriko, Masashi Nakano, Hajime Tanida,
Hideshi Fujiwara (2006) Redox reaction of iodine in paddy soil investigated by field observation
and I K-edge XANES spectroscopy, Journal of
Environmental Radioactivity, 86(2): 212-226
Yuita, Kouichi, Nobuharu Kihou (2005) Behavior of
iodine in a forest plot, an upland field, and a paddy
field in the upland area of Tsukuba, Japan：Vertical
distribution of iodine in soil horizons and layers to
a depth of 50m, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition,
51(4): 455-467
Yuita, Kouichi, Nobuharu Kihou, Hideki Ichihashi,
Shiho Yabusaki, Hideshi Fujiwara, Katsuaki
Kurishima, Takeshi Noda (2006) Behavior of iodine in a forest plot, an upland field and a paddy
field in the upland area of Tsukuba, Japan. Seasonal variations in iodine concentration in precipitation and soil water and estimation of annual iodine accumulative amount in soil horizon, Soil
Science and Plant Nutrition, 52(1): 92-102
Yuita, Kouichi, Nobuharu Kihou, Shiho Yabusaki, Yoshio Takahashi, Takayuki Saitoh, Akito Tsumura,
Hideki Ichihashi (2005) Behavior of iodine in a
forest plot, an upland field and a paddy field in the
upland area of Tsukuba, Japan. Iodine concentration in precipitation, irrigation water, ponding water and soil waters to a depth of 2.5 m, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(7): 1011-1021
4. Patents
1) METHOD FOR ENRICHTING ISOLATED DEGRADING BACTERIUM, CARRIER HOLDING DEGRADING BACTERIUM OBTAINED THEREBY, AND METHOD FOR RESTORING POLLUTED SOIL OR PREVENTING UNDER-GROUND WATER FROM POLLUTION BY USING THE CARRIER
Patent number: 3773449 (Japan)
Date of application: 22.6.1999
Date of registration: 24.2.2006
Inventors: Kazuhiro Takagi and Yuuichi Yoshioka
5. Collaborative Research
Collaborating Organization
Number
Private enterprise
17
Collaborating organization
5
Other independent administrative institution
3
Prefectural research institution
6
Total*
27
* Total number does not meet the sum of the collaborating organizations
because of overlaps in some projects.
86
Advisory Council
NIAES Advisory Council (2005)
Toru Nagata
Former Professor, School of Agriculture, Ibaraki University
Masami Nakamura
Editor, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
Makoto Kimura
Professor, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University
Yoshio Ogawa
Director General, Ibaraki Agricultural Center, Horticultural Research Institute
Kazuyoshi Fujita
President of “Daichi-o-Mamoru-Kai”
Ryutaro Ohtsuka
President, National Institute for Environmental Studies
Eitaro Miwa
President, National Agriculture and Bio-oriented Research Organization
Motoaki Okuma
President, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
Toshio Akiyama
President, National Research Institute of Fisheries and Environment of Inland Sea,
Fisheries Research Agency
Kazuo Tsukamoto
Head of Environmental Policy Coordination Office, Policy Planning and
Evaluation Division, Minister’s Secretariat, MAFF
Yohei Sato
President, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
87
Appendix
Budget in the FY 2005 (Million yen)
Operational Budget
3,106
Facilities Maintenance Subsidy
119
Project Research Budget
1,048
Miscellaneous Income
1
Patent and Copyright Income
1
Other Income
0
Total
4,274
Staff Numbers
Staff Numbers
250
200
150
Personnel
Administration
Research support
Administrative support
Scientific staff
100
50
0
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
Fiscal year
Library Holdings
Library Holdings
140000
120000
100000
Volumes
80000
Periodicals
Reports
Books
60000
40000
20000
0
98
99
00
01
02
Fiscal year
88
03
04
05
NIAES Campus Map
(Bus Stop)
“Ya-tsu” Landscape (Paddy Field in Ravine)
17
40
18
14
19
13
12
30
10
11
9
106
102
9
4-2
4-1
1
36
33
19
87
107
16
46
17
36
27
26
28 102 26
27
5 6
3 4
10
Area C
14
16
17
15
11
12
13
Inari-gawa River
1
20
20
30
29-2
28 29
32
33
34
57
38
66
61
63
56
116
68
67
75
35
72
115
Undisturbed Soils
Monitoring Field
Upland Field
Environmental
Isolated Field
(Wood)
Wood
Area A
3 Extreme Low-temperature Lab.
4 Insectron
5 Herbarium and Insect Museum
21
Reservoir
18
19
Analytical Lab. for Environmental Studies
Phytotron (Plant protection)
Environmental Chemicals Assessment Lab.
Nematode Biology Workshop
24
25
26
27
Rhizobia Lab.
Experimental Fertilizer Plant
Gatehouse
Garage
28 Storage for Flammable Materials
29 Energy Substation No.1
30
31
32
33
34
Gas Governor House No.1
Waste Water Treatment Plant
Gas Cylinder Storage No.1
Gas Cylinder Storage No.2
Gas Cylinder Storage No.3
9 Greenhouse No.3
10 Soil Sterilization Room
35 Gas Cylinder Storage No.4
36 Gas Cylinder Storage No.5
11
12
13
14
37
38
39
40
Greenhouse No.1
Screen House No.1
Screen House No.2
Screen House No.3
Microbial Biotechnology Lab.
Water Levle Control Valve House
Analytical Facility for Environmental Chemicals
Insect Quarantine Facility
15 Small Animal Rearing House
16 Greenhouse No.2
101 Weather Monitoring Station
102 Parking Place for Bicycles
17
18
19
20
21
104
105
106
107
108
Environmental Chemicals Assessment Lab.
Soil Stock Yard No.1
Soil Stock Yard No.2
Soil Stock Yard No.3
Soil Stock Yard No.4
22 Germplasm Seed Storage Center
Area B
No. Facilities
1 Soil Fertility Lab.
2 Soil Physics Lab.
3
4
5
6
Rotary Greenhouse
Ecotron
Preparation Room (for No.3)
Plant Nutrient Lab.
8 Monitoring Room (for No.103)
9 Air Pollution and Fertilizer Greenhouse
Area A
No. Facilities
1 Main Building
2 Wind Tunnel
100
0
100
200
m
117
Micrometeorological
Observation Field
110
125
Environmental
Isolated Field
(Wood)
118
122
112
Nature Conservancy
70 71
37
52
5-1
6
7
8
73
69
58
No. Facilities
23 Natural Resources Inventry Museum
Paddy Field
84
62
114
49
53
50
121
24
111
51
60
83
54
82
48
Environmental
Isolated Field
of recombinant
DNA Plants
64
45
31
108
2
65
25
47
A-5
85
22
23
77
Upland Field
79
119
21
101
Main Gate
120
18
80
7
Reservoir
108
109
31
Orchard
104
86
Undisturbed Soils
Monitoring Field
Main Building
2
32
101
4-3
10
2
38
4
81
3
74
76
B
39
3
11
113
4-5
4-4
22
N
59
a
34 35
5
16
15
106
1
23
105
14
103
6
37
5-2
105
5
124
25
13 12
8
24
6
15
78
79-2
107
29
104
7
20
21
8
Restoring Traditional Rural Landscape (Rural Biotope)
re
A
Area A
(Bus Stop)
Growth Chamber Yard No.1
Growth Chamber Yard No.2
Growth Chamber Yard No.3
Bridge No.1
Bridge No.2
109 Container Test Yard No.1
10
11
12
13
Greenhouse No.2
Greenhouse
Pot Wash
Soil Stock Yard No.5
Area B
No. Facilities
37 Monitoring Room (for No.112)
38 Short Day Facilities
45
46
47
48
Soil Stock Yard No.7
Soil Stock Yard No.8
Soil Stock Yard No.9
Soil Stock Yard No.10
49 Soil Stock Yard No.11
50 Remote Sensing Expt. Facility
51
52
53
54
Remote Sensing Experimental Field
Precisely Controlled Environment Unit No.2
Soil Stock Yard No.12
Environmental-controlled Greenhouse
Area B
No. Facilities
78 Gas Governor House No.2
79 Pump House No.1
79-2
80
81
82
Drainage Pump House
Energy Substation No.2
Energy Substation No.3
Energy Substation No.4
83 Energy Substation No.5
84 Wearhouse (NIAR)
85 Environmental Isolated Field of recombinant DNA Plants
86 Facility for Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions
87 Bio-plant Research Center
101 Rotary Greenhouse
14 Soil Stock Yard No.6
15 Lysimeter
16 Inoculation and Aseptic Greenhouse
56 Climatron
57 Weighing Lysimeter
58 Micrometeorological Observatory
102 Thermostatic Water Culture Facilities
103 Hydro-automatic Culture Facilities
104 Nursery Beds
17
18
19
20
59
60
61
62
105
106
107
108
Breeding Cycle Shortening Greenhouse
Environmental Botany Lab.
Systematic Growth Control Facilities
Plant Growth Regulator Screening Greenhouse
Ecology Workshop
Field Management Office, NIAR
Warehouse
Oven Pool No.1
Auto-watering Facilities
Pot Test Yard
Herbicide Evaluation Area
Systematic Controled Greenhouse
21 Auto-feeding Water Culture House
22 Soil Moisture Controlled Facilities
63 Thermal Power Drying House
64 Crop Drying House No.1
110 Framed Paddy-Plot Unit
111 Water Level Controlled Paddyfield
23
24
25
26
65
66
67
68
112
113
114
115
Monitoring Room (for No.22)
Rainfall-free Greenhouse
Monitoring Room (for No.24)
Multi-purpose Greenhouse
27 Post-introduction Nursery
28 Isolated Nursery
29 Outcrossing Plant Nursery
Farm Implements Shed No.1
Workshop No.1
Fumigation Room
Water-bath Disinfection House
Groth Chamber Yard No.4
Groth Chamber Yard No.5
Framed Upland-plot Unit
Precisely Controlled Environment Unit No.1
Area C
No. Facilities
1
2
3
4
5
Isotope Research Building
Isotope Greenhouse No.1
Isotope Greenhouse No.2
Isotope Greenhouse No.3
Isotope Greenhouse No.4
6 Isotope Greenhouse No.5
7 Isotope Greenhouse Control Room
10
11
12
13
14
Field Management Office, NIAES
Sample Shed
Oven Pool No.2
Crop Drying House No.2
Farm Implements Shed No.2
15 Workshop No.2
16 Agro-ecology Workshop No.1
17
18
19
20
Agro-ecology Workshop No.2
Rest Room No.2
Lavatory No.4
Energy Substation No.6
21 Pump House No.2
A-5 Stack Room
NIAES
69 Tuber Storage
70 Fertilizer/Agrochemicals Storage
71 Farm Machinery Pool
116 Evapotron
117 Micrometeorological Observatory
118 Framed Nursery
72 Compost Shed
73 Framed Nursery Control Room
74 Rest Room No.1
119 Water Tank
120 Water Tower
121 Concrete Floor No.1
NARO
32 Crossing Room No.1
75 Lavatory No.1
122 Concrete Floor No.2
NIAS
33 Crossing Room No.2
76 Lavatory No.2
124 Container Test Yard No.2
34 Crossing Room No.3
77 Lavatory No.3
125 Container Teat Yard No.3
29-2 Refrigerator Room
30 Gravel Culture Greenhouse
31 Winter Crop Greenhouse
89 buildings (29,545/58,166m2)
AFFRC Tsukuba Office
35 Monitoring Room (for No.110)
36 Herbicide Dissolveing Plant
89 - 90
Internet Web Site of NIAES
NIAES has an official Internet Web site written in English (http://www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/index_e.html). Through
this site, NIAES has provided information on the institute and results of its research works, including "The Ecosystem Database", "Asian-Pacific Alien Species Database (APASD)", "Index of parasitic and symbiotic microbes on
wild plants in Japan", "microForce: Microorganisms Database", "Type Specimens in the NIAES Insect Museum".
URL
http://www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/index_e.html
Map of NIAES Official Site
Japanese Top page
English Top page
Welcoming Address from President
Outline of NIAES
Publications
Bulletin of the NIAES
Miscellaneous Publication of the NIAES
NIAES Annual Report
NIAES Series
International Symposia and Workshops
Database and Data Map
Distribution Maps of Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of Natural Vegetation and Related Climatic Resources
Ecosystem Database
Asian-Pacific Alien Species Database (APASD)
Index of Parasitic and Symbiotic Microbes on Wild Plants in Japan
micro Force
An Illustrated Key to the Hymenopterous Parasitoids of Liriomyza trifolii in Japan
An Illustrated Key to Japanese Species of the Tribe Pilophorini (Heteroptera, Miridae)
A Check List of Japanese Cinara Curtis (Homoptera: Aphididae) with Keys to the Species
NIAES Type Specimens
Natural Resources Inventory Center
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91
Appendix
Meteorological Information
20
2000
Precipitation(mm)
1600
Annual Precipitation
Mean Air Temperature
1400
15
1200
1000
800
10
600
400
200
0
5
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05
Year
92
Temperature(℃)
1800
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