Project News

1. Annual Report Seminar of Pilot Research Program 2016FY

Research Task Force (TF) of the project organized and hold Annual Report Seminar on May 11, 2017 in order to introduce the progress of Pilot Research Program in FY 2016 to the public. A total of 64 participants from YAU, DAR, DOA and others including a Japanese expert dispatched to MOALI attended the seminar. Responding the annual progress reports presented by seven (7) research groups from four (4) major research categories (RA, RB, RC and CR), lively discussion was exchanged, and their research performance was well perceived to have been smoothly conducted in accordance with respective research plans.

Annual Report Seminar (YAU Auditorium, 11th/May)

Annual Progress Report Seminar (TCP Office Meeting Room, 12th/May)

On the following day, May 12, Research TF conducted Annual Progress Report Seminar for examining the activities implemented in FY 2016 and the plans for FY 2017 of all research groups. Research TF members (10 persons) valued the activities of a total of 19 research groups, of which 16 groups were moderately appraised as the research had been progressing almost in line with the original plan. Meanwhile, two groups (RB01-1-2, RB-01-2) were not highly appreciated due to their performance behind the original plan, and one group (CR02) having the same evaluation was recommended to reconsider the objectives and reorganize research procedures.

2. Cooperation for YAU curriculum reformation

After the short-term training course on "Faculty Development (FD)" conducted by Prof. Shigeru Hayakawa (Prof. Emeritus, Kagawa University) last March, the movement of reforming existing curriculum is being accelerated in YAU.

On May 9, YAU organized Curriculum Development Workshop, and faculties and administrative staff concerned developed discussions to identify problems and issues related to the transformation. Since then, discussions and practical examinations have been done in YAU by holding occasional meetings, in which the project's counterparts who obtained enough knowledge on this matter through the project's trainings have contributed to a great extent to sharing knowledge related to the transition to credit system, introduction of general education, division of subjects to "elective" and "compulsory", mark systems, listing of lecture and practical subjects, and others. The project perceives that this institutional trial would be a great opportunity examine the effectiveness of the project's implementation, we are willing to provide continuous and strong supports for creating a new curriculum, which is planned to be applied to the first-year students from the next academic year commencing in November, 2017.

Identification of issues and problems (YAU Diamond Jubilee, 9th May)

C/P to announce the results of the training at the workshop (YAU Diamond Jubilee, 9th May)

3. Replacing TF members

Two counterparts had left the project because they were dispatched to Japan to take long-term training program (Ph. D. course scholarship). Besides, there were a small number of TF Members who had been busy with other projects. Then, the project decided to reorganize the Task Force (TF) members as shown in the attached organization chart, following the nomination of new substitute members at the 23rd TCP Regular Meeting held on May 4.

4．Implementation of Pilot Research

1) Each research group in the Pilot Research Program conducted fieldworks as follows.

• 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th May:
  RB02-1 collected soil samples in Phyinmana, Nay Pyi Taw.
• 4th May:
  RC02-2 collected mangos at Myanadi Mango Farm, Kume TS, Mandalay for detecting diseases.
• 4th-7th May:
  RC02-1 conducted surveys on post-harvest treatment and losses, and collected mangos in Sintkainay TS and Amarapura TS, Mandalay and De Pe Yinn Kywe TS, Sagain for measuring deterioration in the quality in the course of post-harvest processing.
• 6th, 13th, 20th, 28th May:
  RB-03 group collected insects and re-located and re-installed insect traps for next seasons in 7 Townships in Nay Pyi Taw.
• 16th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 27th May:
  RB01-1 conducted surveys to take aerial photography by drone in Phyinmana TS, Nay Pyi Taw.
• 19th May:
  RB01-1 conducted surveys on plants and crops grown in home gardens in several villages in Nay Pyi Taw.
• 20th May:
  CR01 conducted surveys on dairy cattle raising in Zeya Thiri TS, Nay Pyi Taw.
• 27th-30th May:
  RC01-2 conducted surveys in Pwint Phyu TS, Sagain to review the results obtained by previous research.
• 27th-28th May:
  CR04 conducted surveys to observe the germination and establishment of seedlings grown by direct seeding in the deep-water area in Thanatpin TS, and set the water gage.

Bitter Gourde Cultivation at home garden (Lewe, NPT 19/May)

Mushroom Cultivation at home garden (Lewe, NPT 19/May)

2) Laboratory and in-farm experiments were also conducted using the samples collected through previous surveys.

• RA01-1 (Plant Breeding Group and Agronomy Groups)
  About 100 cultivars transplanted in January, which consists of local varieties collected by the team, those provided by Seed Bank and breeding lines (F6) screened by the Dept. of Plant Breeding, were grown at the experimental farm of YAU. A team in the group completed the trials for measuring growth habits and yielding abilities of the varieties having deep-water tolerance which were collected at Thanatpin Township, Bago, and their growth and yield data are analyzed. 15 varieties including those from Thanatpin are tested to determine the tolerant abilities for submergence.
• RA-02-1 (Plant Pathology Group)
  Pathogens of rice blast and leaf blight collected in Zaya Thiri and Pyinmana were continuously cultured, and bacterial specimens from these samples were preserved.
• RB01-1 (Agronomy Group)
  Analyzing the spatial distribution of pulses in Pyinmana TS by ground survey and aerial photographs taken by drone.
• RB01-2 (Soil and Water Science Group)
  Drying and adjusting collected soil sample.
• RB02-1 (Plant Pathology group)
  Identification of nematode was conducted using soil samples collected in Magwe District.
• RB03-1 (Entomology and Zoology group)
  Toward the making pest warning model, they continue to identify and count pests collected by the insect trap newly established in the NPT special district and insect net.
• RC-01-1 (Agronomy group)
  The change and transformation of weight and moisture content of sesame seeds after storage have been measured. A part of the samples was outsourced for component analysis.
• RC01-2
  Data analysis for those collected in the fields has been continued.
• RC02-1
  Changes in quality and physiological characteristics of Mango fruits in the post-harvested period were determined.
• RC-02-2 (Plant Pathology Group)
  Identifying disease of collected mango.
• RC02-3 (Entomology Group)
  Identifying pests collected from pheromone traps in mango orchard.