1. Research purpose

Our research interests are the production and quality improvement of horticultural crops containing vegetables, fruits, and cut flowers. The main research purposes are as follows.

1) Improve the quality of harvested products related to taste and functional components

2) Develop technology to control harvest time of horticulture products using their physiological and ecological characteristics

3) Develop an environment-friendly cultivation method and keep production costs down

2. Specific research content

As research contents, we analyze the functions of enzymes and their genes involved in the metabolism of sugars and functional components related to quality, and investigate the cultivation environment conditions suitable for crop growth. The specific contents are as follows.

1) Research on metabolism of sugars and functional components of tomatoes and Rosaceae fruit trees such as apples

2) Study on the effect of light quality (difference light colors in LEDs) on the growth and flowering of long-day cut flowers such as delphinium and its molecular mechanism

3) Study on the mechanism of juvenility that takes several years to flower and bear fruit in fruit trees

• We evaluate the quality of vegetables and fruits

  We are researching useful ingredients such as sugars and vitamins to promote the production and distribution of vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes and apples. Scientific methods can be used to clarify the effect of environment and technology on the quality of vegetables and fruits in the cultivation and storage.

• Mechanism of sugar metabolism and accumulation involved in fruit production and quality improvement

  Since knowledge on the metabolism and accumulation of sugars related to fruit growth and sweetness is indispensable for improving fruit production and quality, biochemical and molecular biological studies have been performed using apples and tomatoes as the main materials. We could show important physiological findings on the metabolism and accumulation of sucrose and sorbitol.