Current activities of biofertilizer project in Japan
Takuji Ohyama, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University

Biofertilizer mailing list
Biofertilizer mailing list has been established for exchanging information among researchers, producers, technicians, farmers, students and people who are interested in biofertilizer in Asia proposed in the last meeting in Bangkok. This list is managed by Project manager Dr. Tsuguo Genka JAIF. There are 73 people in the current list.

Charcoal Application and VAM Inoculation Promote Vine Growth, Yield and Qualtiy of Passion Fruits in Kenya
L. Wamocho, R. Michieka, K. Yamashita, T. Ishii
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 565: VI International Symposium on Temperate Fruit Growing in the Tropics and Subtropics

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted in 1996/1997 to investigate the effect of charcoal (CH) and vesicular-arbuscular mycorhiza (VAM) inoculation on vine growth, fruit development and quality of passion fruits grown in the field. Plants grown in soils that are low (< 30 ppm) in P content, benefited from root colonisation by VAM. Inoculation of passion fruit cuttings raised in sterilised media inoculated with VAM fungi significantly increased vine growth, yield and quality of fruit. Inoculation with VAM fungi resulted to 100% survival of passion fruit transplants.

Microbial Fertilizers in Japan
Michinori Nishio, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan
Food & Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC) for the Asian and Pacific Region