Gazipur Agricultural University (GAU) and Japan’s International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) have signed a research collaboration agreement to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly and climate-resilient soybean production in Bangladesh, aiming to reduce crop losses and strengthen domestic production.
The agreement was signed at GAU by Vice-Chancellor G K M Mustafizur Rahman and JIRCAS Programme Director Keisuke Omori on Wednesday, building on more than a decade of research collaboration between the two institutions.
The project will focus on developing an effective disease management system by combining rust-resistant soybean varieties with appropriate fungicide applications. Researchers will investigate Asian Soybean Rust and Cercospora leaf blight, assess disease prevalence and fungicide resistance, and evaluate non-GM, rust-resistant varieties developed by JIRCAS and its South American partners for adaptability and commercial potential in Bangladesh. If unsuitable, locally adapted resistant varieties will be developed through a breeding programme. The research will also assess the economic and environmental benefits of integrated disease management, said a press release on Thursday.
GAU has already developed six soybean varieties with distinct characteristics through its Department of Agronomy. These varieties are currently cultivated on approximately 68,000 hectares across Bangladesh, particularly in the charlands of Noakhali, Bhola and Lakshmipur.
JIRCAS Senior Researchers Yamanaka Naoki and Sasaki Kazuhiro, GAU Director (Research) Md Moshiul Islam, project lead researcher Md Motaher Hossain, Institutional Quality Assurance Cell Director Nasrin Akter Ivy and Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding Associate Professor Liakat Ali attended the signing ceremony.
