As a way of enhancing a practical agricultural experience, the students of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry laboratory participated in rice harvesting activities this year. Through the instrumentality of Professor Tran Dang Xuan, a rice farmer with the vicinity of Hiroshima University helped the students to harvest the rice in their experimental fields. The farmer then invited the students to his farm to participate in rice harvesting and gain hands-on knowledge on how the rice harvester works. For many of the students, this was the first time to participate in such a rewarding learning activity for which they were glad to have been invited. 

To day, there is a delegation of Vietnamese researchers, from Agricultural Genetics Institute, Vietnam have visited and joined the seminar in our Laboratory. Prof. Tran Dang Xuan, the head of our Lab, has presented an introduction about Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. Then Mr. Nguyen Van Quan reported his findings about the anti diabates of momilactones A and B in rice grain. The open discussion with students and AGI researchers was then held in 30 minutes. Topics involved in rice breeding, natural products and their biological activities such as allelopathy, medicinal and pharmaceutical properties.