Technology Development for Stable Agricultural Production under Adverse Environments and Changing Climate Conditions

Abstract

The second of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. However, it is well known that the agricultural potential in developing regions including Africa has not been fully realized because adverse environments and changing climate conditions impose abiotic (e.g., low soil fertility, droughts) and biotic (e.g., pests, diseases) stresses on plant growth and development. To ensure food and nutrition security in such regions, the Environmental Stress-tolerant Crops project, the High-yielding Biomass Crops project and the Pest and Disease Control project in the Program for Stable Agricultural Production at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences aimed to develop technologies and crops with high productivity and adaptability to adverse environments and changing climate conditions. In order to develop crops with environmental stress tolerance and disease resistance, we have clarified and used the genes and loci involved in these traits toward the development of breeding materials. And in order to develop technology for effectively controlling transboundary pests, we have elucidated the ecology of their occurrence and developed pest management technology based on that information. We hope that these materials and technologies will contribute to achieving food and nutrition security in developing regions.