2025 Activity Report vol.15:Tottori University

From October 13 to 22, 2025, Tottori University hosted eight faculty members and students from Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan, and conducted a training program at the Faculty of Agriculture (Koyama Campus) and the Arid Land Research Center (Hamasaka). This was the third time Tottori University has accepted participants from Samarkand State University through the Sakura Science Program. Prior to this training, the two universities concluded an academic exchange agreement in 2023 and have jointly worked to promote human resource exchange and strengthen their research foundations. This Sakura Science Program training was implemented as part of the collaborative activities under that agreement.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has faced increasingly serious challenges such as rangeland degradation, water shortages in cultivated areas, and salinization, due to changes in rainfall patterns associated with climate change and the impacts of population growth. Against this background, the training program was planned under the theme of enhancing knowledge and technologies related to forage crops and neglected and underutilized crops (NUCs), with the aim of strengthening food security and reducing poverty in drylands. Before the participants arrived in Japan, online preparatory meetings were held to share an overview of the program and logistical arrangements. In addition, through presentations of the trainees' research topics and a research orientation session, the participants deepened a shared understanding of the purpose, objectives, and research design. After arriving in Japan, the approximately one-week training was organized around three main pillars: (1) experiments and practical exercises on rangeland degradation and restoration, (2) learning on physiological analyses and nutritional evaluation of drought- and salt-tolerant crops including NUCs, and (3) learning on extension approaches to advance social implementation.

On the first day, the participants visited the JA Tottori Chuo Women's Association in Hokuei Town, Tottori Prefecture. They learned about local initiatives directly from farmers and also experienced making rice flour products with a local processing group. The trainees were impressed by the activities that support regional agriculture, and the visit also served as an opportunity for mutual exchange and deeper understanding.

From the second day onward, the participants intensively experienced a wide range of methods, including analyses of forage growth and photosynthetic characteristics, soil analyses, monitoring of salt dynamics, and measurements of greenhouse gas emissions. To convey expertise across different fields, seven faculty members participated in the lectures and training sessions. In addition, students from Tottori University who have experience working in Uzbekistan supported the program, which also helped deepen mutual understanding of culture and society.

The participants also toured various facilities and equipment at the Arid Land Research Center (IPDRE) related to measures against drought and salinity. During the program, trainees commented that they were "impressed by Japan's activities that support regional agriculture" and that they "were able to conduct practical training using state-of-the-art research equipment."

On the final day, the participants shared what they had learned and presented their action plans after returning to Uzbekistan, and certificates of completion (Certification) were awarded. IPDRE will continue research exchanges with Samarkand State University and will contribute to improving livelihoods and promoting local economic development in Central Asia.