Research Area: Food Production
Research Specialization: Crop Science
Name: MIZUTA, Keisuke

Key words: Wheat,Highyield,High quality grain, Lodging, Growth diagnosis

Recent Research　

1. Development of wheat cultivation method to achieve high yield and grain quality

In wheat cultivation, it is important to achieve both yield and grain quality at a high level. Wheat for bread and durum wheat, whose production has increased in recent year in western Japan, are required high grain protein content in quality evaluation. However, The grain protein content is negatively correlated with yield. In this laboratory, we are verifying cultivation methods which can achieve high yield and grain quality by improving the fertilizer application method and sowing system.　

2. Study on light competition and lodging in wheat

　If lodging occurs, it reduces the yield and grain quality of wheat. Previous studies have reported that nitrogen application during stem elongation stage increase the risk of lodging by lengthened stem length. However, when plant growth before stem elongation stage was limited and increasing light interception, the stem length was not lengthened even though nitrogen was applied more than three times during stem elongation stage. In this laboratory, we hypothesize and verify that the direct cause of lodging is not nitrogen application but light competition during stem elongation stage.

3. Development of stable wheat production method by growth diagnosis　

To achieve high yield and grain quality while preventing lodging in wheat, it is considered that the variable-rate nitrogen application method based on the growth diagnosis must be effective. However, special equipment such as a spectroradiometer or laser sensor is required for plant growth diagnosis. In this laboratory, we are verifying whether the growth can be diagnosed by image analysis without using special equipments.