| Publication date | July 25, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries |
| Region name | Chugoku-Shikoku（Tokushima Prefectural） |
The average annual water temperature in the Kii Channel in Tokushima Prefecture, where there are many fishing grounds for the "Naruto Wakame" brand, which is the third largest producer of wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) in Japan, has risen by about 1.5 degrees Celsius over the past 40 years. Wakame is a seaweed that grows best in cold weather, so cooler water temperatures are more suitable for its growth.
In response to the decline in production volume in recent years, the Fisheries Research Division, Tokushima Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Technology Support Center began a new breeding program in FY 2012, and in FY 2015 developed a new variety of wakame, which is easy to grow even at higher water temperatures. The leaf weight (edible part only) of the new variety is 1.2 to 1.9 times that of the conventional varieties, while the taste and quality are equivalent. Its rapid growth is also a major feature, which permits a shorter than ever time to harvest.
Details can be found in Local Adaptation Interview.
