Outline of National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES)

Target and Strategy

The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) has its roots in the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry's National Agricultural Experiment Station, which was created in 1893. In 1950, this was reorganized into the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and in 1983 it was again reorganized into the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences. In 2001, it became an independent administrative institution.

Under our five-year research plan, we have three objectives which emphasize basic studies and research meant to ensure the safety of agricultural production environments.

1) Assessing risk in agricultural environments and developing risk management technologies

2) Elucidating the structure of agricultural ecosystems in order to develop technologies to manage natural cycles

3) Basic research to help elucidate the functions of agricultural ecosystems

Research Strategy for the 3rd Medium Term Plan

A. Interactions between global environmental change and agriculture

1) Quantification of mitigation options for greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural lands

2) Mechanisms and impacts of global environmental change on crop production

B. Investigation of variation mechanism of agrobiodiversity and the environmental function

1) Investigation of variation mechanism of agrobiodiversity and development of the appropriate management technology

2) Investigation of environmental biofunction for environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture

C. Dynamics of agro-chemicals and reducing method of their risks in agro-environment

1) Improvement on reducing method of risks for toxic chemicals

2) Predicting method of environmental dynamics of agro-chemicals and evaluating method of their impacts on agro-ecosystem

D. Advancing natural resources inventory

1) Monitoring and prediction of agro-environmental dynamics using geoinformation and flux-measurement

2) Collecting Agro-environmental information and development of integrated database

NIAES Research Projects (2011)

NIAES has organized following Research Projects (RP) to carry out the 3rd Medium Term Plan.

• RP for Mitigation of Global Warming
• RP for Agroecosystem Response and Adaptation to Climate Change
• RP for Global Risk Assessment toward Stable Production of food
• RP for Agrobiodiversity Assessment
• RP for Ecological Assessment on Genetically Modified Organisms and Alien Species
• RP for Biological Interactions and Infochemicals
• RP for Risk Management of Hazardous Chemicals
• RP for Environmental Risk Assessment of Nutrients and Organochemicals
• RP for Ecosystem Monitoring
• RP for Agro-Environmental Information and Classification of Environmental Resources

NIAES Research Projects (2008)

• RP for Risk Assessment of Organic Chemicals (renamed on Apr. 2009)
• RP for Risk Management of Heavy Metals
• RP for Ecological Impact Assessment of Invasive Alien Species
• RP for Ecological Impact Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms
• RP for Biodiversity in Paddy Fields
• RP for Ecological Functions of Semiochemicals
• RP for Factors Affecting Crop Production Changes (reorganized on Apr. 2009)
• RP for Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (reorganized on Apr. 2009)
• RP for Carbon and Nitrogen Budget in Regional Scale (reorganized on Apr. 2009)
• RP for Environmental Risk Assessment of Nutrients
• RP for Global Warming Monitoring
• RP for Chemical Analysis and Monitoring
• RP for Spatial Information in Agriculture
• RP for Agro-Environmental Risk Indicators (reorganized on Apr. 2009)
• RP for Classification and Information of Environmental Resources (reorganized on Apr. 2009)

Main Research Facilities

a) Library: Approximately 130,000 books and 2,100 periodicals relating to agricultural sciences, including agro-environmental studies stored for consultation by a large number of researchers.

b) Soil Museum: Soil monoliths from the whole country and the world including poor soil, fertile soil, red soil or black soil.

c) Insect Museum: 1.2 million specimens including agricultural insects to utilize for studying taxonomy and biodiversity.

d) Isolation Field for Transgenic Plants: Utilized to elucidate the effect of transgenic plants on the ecosystem.

e) Analysis Facility for Hazardous Chemicals in the Environment: Measurement of hazardous chemicals, such as dioxins and heavy metals, in the agro-environment.

f) Rice FACE Facility: Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) experiment field to investigate the effects of elevated CO2 on rice paddy.

Symposia, Seminars and Workshops

These activities attended by a large number of researchers are organized in order to promote discussions on problems relating to agro-environmental researches. (see Announcement Page )

International Cooperation

The Institute organizes training courses and promotes technical cooperation and the exchange of researchers with various countries depending on their requirements, with emphasis placed on the developing countries of Southeast Asia.

Organization of NIAES

President

Vice President

Auditors

Principal Research Director

Research Planning Office

Research Coordination Office

Public Relations and Information Office

Research Information Systems Office

Safety Management Office

Experimental Farm Management Division

Principal Administrative Director

Administrative Services Office

Accounting Office

Principal Research Coordinators

Agro-Meteorology Division

Carbon and Nutrient Cycles Division

Soil Environment Division

Organochemicals Division

Biodiversity Division

Environmental Biofunction Division

Ecosystem Informatics Division

Natural Resources Inventory Center

Audit Office

Access to NIAES

NIAES is located in Tsukuba Science City, approximately 60 km northeast of Tokyo. To reach NIAES from JR Ushiku Station, use the western exit and take the Kantetsu Bus for "Tsukuba Daigaku Byoin", "Tsukuba Daigaku Chuo", or "Yatabe Shako" which leaves from bus stop No. 4 located just outside of Ushiku Station. Ask for the stop named "Nogyo Kankyo Gijutsu Kenkyusho" after approximately a 15-20 minute ride.

access map to NIAES