Logos (=word) of soil, roots, and crops that drives productivity
We study the mechanisms of soil and roots to devise methods that improve crop production.
There are many approaches, including the use of fertilizers, irrigation methods, and beneficial microbes.
While there are challenges in both well-developed and less-developed production regions, my focus is more on the latter.
I address issues related to food, environment, agriculture, and peace.
In terms of industrial relevance, my work falls within production agronomy, encompassing crop science, cultivation science, agronomy, and agroecology, but it can also be viewed as bio-resource and environmental sciences.
My research fields are in Southeast and South Asia, and I hope to continue building friendships with Asia through bio-resource and environmental sciences.
Production agronomy is a long-established discipline that teaches the basic techniques of cultivation and the principles of crop diversity and improvement.
At the same time, in relation to the ever-changing society, we evaluate and examine new ideas and technologies such as sustainability, smart agriculture, and green transformation (GX).
Educational approach
A regional perspective: Asian Bio-Resource and Environmental Sciences
At the Asian Center, we develop unique educational and research training programs in collaboration with professors in agricultural environmental biology, forest science, biomaterial science, and marine science, as well as overseas universities.
We provide opportunities for experiments and graduation research for students in Department of Agricultural Environmental Biology, International Program in Agricultural Development Studies, and majors such as Agricultural Biology and International Sustainable Agriculture Development in Faculty of Agriculture.
As an educator, I support students in facing themselves, history, and nature, opening their minds to others, and seeking truth.
Here are some recent thesis titles; for details, please see the 'Academic Portfolio' on the Kamoshita Laboratory members’ page (https://www.kamoshitalab.com/blank).
Doctoral theses
・Effects of water regime and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth and mycorrhizal communities of rice and pearl millet
・Impact of saltwater intrusion on rice cultivation in the Red River Delta, Vietnam: Case studies of adaptation in two contrasting deltas for sustainable development
Master’s theses
・Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculants on infection and growth of crops
・Study on crop species differences in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal infection and root morphology in field conditions
・Changes in native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization in rice, wild oat, and rye under different preceding land management practices in upland fields
・Rice varietal differences in arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and subsequent growth responses under upland field conditions
・Study on changes and diversity of rice farming in Cambodia: Case studies in three different rice ecosystems during a period of industrial structural transformation
・Challenges of public rice seed production after the repeal of Japan’s Main Crop Seed Law: Case studies of seed farmers and prefectural offices
Undergraduate theses
・Comparison of effects of 2 arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculants on upland rice growth under different previous land management
Vision for industry-academia collaboration
Reconciliation and hope: The Asian biological resource and environmental science forum
We have research fields, collaborators, and partner institutions in South India, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In Vietnam, we collaborate as co-representatives of the Smart Sustainable Agriculture Program at Vietnam Japan University, expecting to foster excellent human resources.
In East Asia, we are exploring open collaborations between academia and civil society for human security and public nature.
Keywords include human rights and the role of the state, understanding history, culture, and nature, international exchange, sustainable resource management, and nurturing the next generation.
Agriculture, food, biological resources, and the environment are of universal importance to individuals and communities, and international collaboration among those engaged in these academic and educational fields is expected to contribute to regional sustainable development.
As our era leans toward a future-oriented perspective, I believe it is equally important to learn from history.
We offer interactive lectures on sustainable agriculture.
We are interested in evaluating and developing alternative crop production techniques such as organic farming, natural farming, and regenerative agriculture, and we also conduct research on the use of mycorrhizal fungi in crop production.
