Tokyo—ICAMA of MOA and the Japan Association for Advancement of Phyto-Regulators (JAPR) signed
the Memorandum of Understanding on Herbicide Application Technology Cooperation (MOU) in Tokyo on July 9
th, 2012. Both sides stressed that the cooperation should be maintained and promoted through knowledge sharing,
technical exchange, expert exchanges and personnel training.
On the invitation of public financial legal person JAPR, Deputy Party Secretary Liu Jiemin of
ICAMA headed the Chinese delegation to visit Japan from July 8
th to 14
th, 2012. The two sides exchanged views on issues of pesticide control, herbicide application and personnel training, and reached a consensus to enhance the herbicide control and application cooperation, establish an information-sharing mechanism and implement technical training programs. Deputy Party Secretary Liu and Director General OGAWA KEI of JAPR signed the co-drafted MOU.
Set up in November 1964, JAPR became a public financial legal person in 2012. It is mainly in charge of Japan's herbicide efficacy test, phyto-toxicity evaluation, research & development, as well as extension & promotion, etc. As an influential technical authority, JAPR plays an important role in Japan's pesticide registration system.
ICAMA and JAPR have maintained a close partnership for over two decades. With joint and intensified efforts, the two sides have carried out multiple cooperative activities, involving broad technical issues like weed control, biological activity test and herbicide application, etc. Their major achievements are as follows: first, the macrogranule (GG) herbicide for paddy-field was introduced to China to improve the efficiency, safety, labor and time
consumption in weed control; second, bilateral technical communication was conducted to exchange innovative
technologies like paddy-field weed control, herbicide test methodologies, and integrated management of resistant weed; third, the co
-edited
China Colored Weed Illustrated Book was published in three languages of Chinese, Japanese and English to provide detailed information of more than 800 weed varieties; and fourth, systematic technical trainings were organized to instruct over 50 personnel from both sides the advanced pesticide technologies and management skills.
As a milestone to signify above progress, this MOU was also initiated to boost the bilateral cooperation in an all-round way. Priorities were given to herbicide registration, herbicide safe use and staff training. It is expected that follow-up activities should be carried out regularly in the form of information sharing, high-level workshops, expert exchanging visits and technical communication, etc. During this process, both sides shall get a better knowledge of each other's development in this sector. The co-organized personnel training and communication programs shall enhance the competence of technical staff, improve China's herbicide registration and application administration, and provide technological support to safeguard China's
food security, environment safety and ecology safety.
Director Zhang Wenjun of ICAMA, Vice Director Chen Bo of Beijing ICA, Director Luo Shengjun of Hebei ICA, Director Li Peng of Hainan ICA, and Section Chief Li Huaying of Guangxi ICA attended the signing ceremony as members of the delegation.
(Source: Biology Division, ICAMA).