Triticale (×Triticosecale) is the first man-made new crop by intergeneric crossing between bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.). The crossability of bread wheat with rye is mainly cotrolled by the Kr1 (or SKr) gene on the chromosome 5B. However, little is known on the crossability of tetraploid wheat (T. turgidum L.). In this study, we investigated genetic diversity for the crossabilities in tetraploid wheat using 25 landraces distributing from Asia to Russia. We found that the level of crossability was divided into three groups, low (0%), medium (〜15%), and high (〜40%). However, the degree of high level crossabilities in tetraploid wheat was lower than that of high crossability varieties in bread wheat.

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In this study, we investigated the possibility for reduction of the power requirement of up-cut rotary tillers used to till and furrow fields for lettuce planted after paddy rice, by partially using tillage tines that have a smaller rotation radius. The results showed that quality of the tillage was maintained and power requirement during tillage fell by 13-39% when 30 out of 42-tine of 245-mm-rotation radius were replaced with those of 175mm or 190mm toward the center of an up-cut rotary tiller and the cut (tilling) depth was set to about 14cm. Compared to when standard tines were used, lettuce yields were unchanged when the modified tiller-furrower was used for lettuce production.

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We investigated the effect of hydrogen cyanamide on the flowering period and pollen germination of pear pollenizer cultivars. Four cultivars of adult 'Yali', 'Imamurakai', 'Chojuro' and 'Shinko' trees were treated with 1.0% hydrogen cyanamide at 600 CU, and pollen development was observed using a microscope. In addition, we observed the flowering period. The date of flowering was forced in all four cultivars following hydrogen cyanamide treatment; however, the level of the effect varied among the cultivars used. In particular, the flowering period of 'Yali' an early-flowering cultivar, was significantly faster than that of other cultivars. The germination rate of 'Yali' pollen was also significantly lower in one year. Pollen germination of other cultivars was free of any untoward effect of hydrogen cyanamide.

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