JST Top > Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development > Projects >

Project for Development of Sericulture Research by Applying Biological Resources and Molecular Genetics

Bioresources

Republic of Kenya

Finished

Project for Development of Sericulture Research by Applying Biological Resources and Molecular Genetics

A sericulture revolution in East Africa, powered by Japan’s silkworm and silk expertise

Principal Investigator

- Group Leader
  KAMEDA Tsunenori
  National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
- Center Director
  Muo Kasina
  Sericulture Research Center, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)

ODA Recipient Country

Republic of Kenya

Research Institutions in Japan

National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2015

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Selecting/breeding mulberry and silkworm species suited to Kenya, developing silk materials
Kenya’s biological resources include mulberry trees, silkworms, and wild silkworms. We are working to study Kenya’s native mulberry species in detail in order to select those most suited to the nation’s climate and to achieve further improvement through breeding. We also aim to crossbreed Kenya’s disease-resilient subcultural silkworm species with Japanese species that have been bred over many years to achieve high silk productivity, in order to develop a species that possesses both these qualities for commercial use. Furthermore, we will work to derive usage value from Kenyan native wild silkworms as a new silk material.

Development of a research and technology platform in Kenya for mass production of high-quality silk.
We aim to establish a sericulture research center staffed with talented young researchers capable of leading independent Kenyan research and development, and to develop a technological platform capable of mass-producing high-quality Kenyan silk that rivals overseas products. Furthermore, we hope that the technologies developed in the research center will be deployed on a societal level through transfer to manufacturers and private companies.