The apparent utilization rates of nitrogen and potassium as fertilizer have been thought to be 66% and 69%, respectively, for the Japanese food and feed production system. However, that of phosphorus, a strategic resource, has been thought to be only 17% in Japan. Phosphorus surplus calculated as the difference between input and output is the largest among OECD countries. Japan imports phosphorus as food and feed, and as iron ore, as well as the form of ore, ammonium phosphate, and various kinds of salts. An increase of the phosphorus utilization rate and recovery of hidden phosphorus in food and feed refuse (food waste, sewage, livestock wastes waste, etc.) and the like, as well as reuse as a secondly phosphorus resource, is important for reducing phosphorus imports and for increasing self-sufficiency in phosphorus as much as possible. In Japan, there are full-scale phosphorus recovery plants as components of municipal sewage sludge treatment plants, and both full-scale livestock waste treatment plants and a laboratory-scale system for phosphorus separation from iron-making slag. If these systems are fully adopted in Japan, most of phosphorus demand for fertilizer in Japan will be filled by the recovered phosphorus and livestock waste, although the required initial investment, maintenance, and renewing of phosphorus recovery and/or separation systems, as well as the negative image of “sewage born” fertilizer, make promoting these systems difficult. However, a sustainable and robust food and feed production back up resource supply is necessary for realizing SDGs 12 and 15with a circular economy and a society based on self-production and self-consumption.

The white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis Niijima et Kinoshita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is an indigenous pest of sugarcane in the Miyako Islands, Okinawa, Japan. The mouthparts of the adult beetles are known to degenerate and they are assumed to have limited nutritional resources. On the basis of this, we studied changes in the quantity of stored lipids in the adult lifetime. For observing changes of stored lipid quantity, we adopt a commercial kit to conduct methylation of induced fatty acids in the whole insect body and purify them for analysis. We individually extracted and methylated whole lipids in the bodies of male beetles, both in laboratory-reared and feral individuals, and analyzed the methylated fatty acids by gas chromatography for quantification. In laboratory-reared males, we found no difference between newly eclosed beetles and those just after reproductive diapause, only the males who intensively flew for mating had lower levels of fatty acids. Feral males who have flown vigorously for mating possessed significant lower levels of fatty acid. From these results, we are able to know that there is certain relationship between male’s flight capability and stored lipids quantity in non-migratory insects.

‘Esajiman’, a new cultivar of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), was developed by Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO, in collaboration with Snow Brand Seed Co., Ltd. ‘Esajiman’ was developed by between- and within-family selection using 9 breeding families and 22 individuals. The heading date of ‘Esajiman’ was 2 June and was a medium late maturity as well as ‘Harujiman.’ The total dry matter yield across three years in regional performance testing in ten locations averaged 4% higher than that of ‘Harujiman’. The dry matter yield of ‘Esajiman’ in mixed sowing with forage legumes was almost the same as that of ‘Harujiman’ and yields under frequent cutting and under dual-purpose cutting were slightly higher than those of ‘Harujiman’. The seed yield of ‘Esajiman’ was the same as that of ‘Harujiman’ in Oregon, USA, which is commercial seed production place, but less than that of ‘Harujiman’ in Sapporo. The water-soluble carbohydrate content was 3 percentage points higher than that of ‘Harujiman’ across three years and four locations. Its acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber contents were lower than those of ‘Harujiman’. The estimated total digestible nutrient content of ‘Esajiman’ was 2 percentage points higher than that of ‘Harujiman’, and its total digestible nutrient yield was 9% higher. The value of fermentation quality of ‘Esajiman’silage, measured as the V-score, was higher than that of ‘Harujiman’ silage. Its winter hardiness was slightly better than that of ‘Harujiman’. ‘Esajiman’was more resistant to leaf streak caused by Cercosporidium graminis than ‘Harujiman’. Herbage intake of ‘Esajiman’ by grazing cattle was higher than that of ‘Harujiman’.

‘Hatsumaru’ is a new, very-early maturing cultivar of Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) that was released in 2014 by the Institute of Fruit Tree Science, NARO. The cultivar was developed from a cross between ‘Chikusui’ and Tsukuba 43 in 1993, selected as a promising tree in 2006, and subjected to the eighth national trial as Nashi Tsukuba 54 from 2007, at 38 experimental stations in 37 prefectures throughout Japan. The cultivar was released as ‘Hatsumaru’ in 2014 and was registered under the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act of Japan on June 19, 2015 (Registration No. 24374). ‘Hatsumaru’ trees are medium to moderately vigorous. They produced medium to moderately high number of shoots, few to medium number of fruit spurs, and medium number of axillary flower buds in the national trial. Flowering time was approximately April 15, three days earlier than that of ‘Chikusui’and ‘Kosui’, and the harvest time was approximately July 30, which was one week earlier than that of ‘Chikusui’ and three weeks earlier than that of ‘Kosui’. ‘Hatsumaru’ fruits ripened until the first half of August, when the demand for Japanese pear peaks in consumer areas and the favorable sales are possible, in most of the pear-producing areas in Japan in the national trial. The cultivar was resistant to black spot and there was no serious problem of diseases and insect pests under standard spraying program. ‘Hatsumaru’ is cross compatible with other leading cultivars as its S-genotype is S₁S₄. The fruit shape of ‘Hatsumaru’ is oblate to round. Fruit weight averaged 296 g in the national trial, smaller than that of ‘Chikusui’ and ‘Kosui’. The flesh firmness of ‘Hatsumaru’was 4.1 lbs, softer than that of ‘Chikusui’ and ‘Kosui’. The soluble solid content was, on an average, 12.4%, which was lower than that of ‘Chikusui’ and ‘Kosui’. The pH of fruit juice, on an average, was 5.1, which was comparable with that of ‘Chikusui’ and lower than that of ‘Kosui’. The eating quality of ‘Hatsumaru’ was comparable with ‘Chikusui’ and ‘Kosui’. The shelf-life of ‘Hatsumaru' was around 5 days, a little shorter than that of ‘Kosui’. The dead lateral flower bud rate of ‘Hatsumaru’ in Kumamoto Prefecture was apparently higher than that of ‘Kosui’. ‘Hatsumaru’ is expected to be extensively cultivated as a very-early ripening cultivar in Japan, especially in Kanto and South Tohoku region.