The fourth week of the JICA training course relating new variety I coordinate has now passed. This week, participants conducted a field practice using special rice just before harvest in a paddy in Tsukuba City specially designed for this training.

The field training was aimed at creating new test guidelines for NERICA rice (an interspecific hybrid between Japanese rice (Oriza sativa) and African rice (Oryza glaberrima)), a new type of rice that is expected to be spread in Africa and other regions. This practical training involves creating new guidelines rather than using existing ones. The trainees, who are also working diligently, are preparing to create these new guidelines when they return to their home countries. While the hot weather continues, the day of the field training was cloudy with a slight autumnal breeze.