Development of locally-available microbial materials is a high-priority issue for future food production in sustainable agricultural management. In this study, we focused on the horticultural value of horse manure from retired racehorses reared at a local stable in Minami-soma City as a potential composting material applicable for sustainable agriculture in Fukushima Prefecture and performed a bench-top composting experiment. The maturation of the resulting compost was confirmed by the increase of nutritive elements including P, N and K as well as the final C/N ratio of 27.4, which is in the range of the ideal values of mature composts. Microbial composition before and after composting was investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which showed that the starting material (horse manure) was dominated by bacterial groups affiliated with obligate anaerobic bacterial taxa from equine cecal microbiota , while the mature compost was dominated by bacterial groups of many aerobic or facultative anaerobic taxa, which were likely to be involved in aerobic degradation of organic substrates during the ripening process, indicating that the microbial composition changed significantly during the ripening period. In addition, the germination rate and oxygen consumption after ripening met the generally approved standard, which emphasized that horse manure from retired racehorses can serve as a good microbial material for producing high-quality composts in a space- and time-efficient way compared to other livestock manures. By reference to these results, we plan to build a local platform to produce horse manure composts with scientifically proven values toward the practical implementation.

The black-koji mold produces a large amount of citric acid during the fermentation process of awamori, a traditional distilled spirit in the Ryukyu islands. Meanwhile, to remove the radioactive cesium from soil in Fukushima by plant, it is suggested that the acidification of the soil is important for releasing the radioactive cesium from soil particle. Our purpose is efficient acidification of the soil using the black-koji mold which is safe for natural environment. We selected 6 strong-acidproducing black-koji strains from the National Research Institute of Brewing collection of Aspergillus luchuensis and A. niger separated from awamori-koji, using the acid-producing ability as an index. Finally, we selected A. luchuensis RIB2503, because the growth ability of the strain at lower temperature could make it possible to endure the winter cold at Fukushima in Tohoku region. The strain indicated the significant and maintained acid-producing ability in solid-state culture growth not only regular temperature but also low temperature. Furthermore, gene expressed analysis of the strain indicated that only the citrate synthase gene transcription of the strain increased with culture time. These results suggest that A. luchuensis RIB2503 strain would be sustainable strain producing the citrate acid and ideal for efficient acidification of the soil, leading to the regeneration of the Fukushima's soil.

Abstract: This paper discusses the points of disaster recovery support activities from the perspective of self-help, mutual assistance, and public assistance by disaster phase，based on the experience of the Tokyo University of Agriculture East Japan Support Project, which worked on the reconstruction of agriculture and forestry from the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in 2011.

Phase I (recovery period) --- At this stage, rapid development and dissemination of recovery technology is required. For that purpose, it is indispensable to discover recovery needs, develop problem-solving technology and disseminate it to the field, and systematically develop volunteer activities by students.

Phase II (reconstruction period) --- At this stage, it is required to develop technology that can support the development of new agriculture with the restored agricultural land and facilities. For that purpose, it is necessary to understand the technical, management and marketing problems that producers have and to develop comprehensive technology that can solve such problems.

Phase III (creation period) --- It is time to spread the results of reconstruction to the entire region and aim for regional revitalization.

In order to develop such efforts, the participation of various organizations with specialized knowledge and know-how is required.

Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and many of the affected farmlands have resumed farming. However, in the areas affected by the radioactive contamination caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the resumption of farming has been hampered by measures to curb the absorption of radioactive materials, reputational damage to agricultural products, and a declining and aging farmer population. In particular, the areas under the evacuation order, which were severely contaminated, are facing even more difficulties, such as a decline in willingness to resume farming due to the prolonged evacuation of residents. In this paper I want to discuss the development of technologies necessary for farming resumption in the areas affected by the nuclear power plant to overcome these difficulties.

Iitate Village, which is in the Abukuma Mountains and has a population of about 6,000, has been highly evaluated for its livestock farming that makes use of the vast mountains and the cultivations of flowers and highland vegetables that make use of the cool climate under the location conditions of high and cold mountains. However, due to the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company in March 2011, the entire village was forced to evacuate, and the villagers were forced to evacuate for a long period of more than 6 years. As a result, local communities and villagers' lives were fundamentally destroyed. Itatei Yui Farm is in the Okubo-Gainai area, which is almost in the center of the village. Through the activities of the "Okubo-Gainai Reconstruction Team" made by about 25 volunteers in 2017 after the evacuation was lifted, we realized once again the importance of gathering local people and collaborating. Therefore, to continue to carry out joint projects in the region, 49 households in the Okubo-Gainai district became members in April 2021, and the "Iitate Yui Farm" was established. Considering that many of the participants are elderly people, they are engaged in the cultivation and processing and sales of minor grains such as perilla and buckwheat, which require patience and cultivation techniques cultivated up to now. In addition, we are actively engaged in exchange projects with Fukushima University and consumer groups in urban areas. With the goal of "an area where people can work energetically even when they become elderly" and "somehow a fun town of Yui," we would like to revitalize the area lost in the nuclear accident.