Exploration and Collection of Wild Rice in Northern and Western Region of Myanmar, 2004

Myanmar has been known as a part of the gene center of rice from old times. Its diversity of wild rice as well as cultivated rice has been well conserved compared to surrounding countries. However, areas such as northern and western of the Myanmar were not surveyed for wild rice. Therefore, it is an important subject to survey and collect wild rice around these areas as important genetic materials for breeding and research. We explored and collected wild rice in the northern and western parts of Myanmar as a Myanmar-Japan collaborative field research under the NIAS Genebank Project in 2004. A total of 102 seed samples consisting of 93 Oryza rufipogon, six O. officinalis and three O. granulate were collected in this exploration. Regarding primary features of O. rufipogon collected in the northern and western part of Myanmar, many wild rice plants were growing in swamps and canals disturbed by people and livestock near paddy fields. Although some populations near paddy fields looked like hybrid swarms with introgression from cultivated forms, hybrid swarms did not necessary occur in habitats of wild rice in the vicinity of paddy fields. Many wild rice plants growing in deep water showed floating ability, while the others growing in shallow water formed rigid root systems in the soil. Relationships between plant height and depth of water varied among sites. Seed fertilities of wild rice plants collected in this survey were generally low, but those of the plants which looked like hybrids between wild and cultivated types were relatively high. We found distinctive habitats distributed in different areas. Many habitats of floating wild rice showing high seed fertility was discovered in Indawgyi Lake of Kachin State. A short grass-type wild rice having compact panicles were found near paddy fields along the roadside in Rakhine State and Ayeyarwady Division. It is important to elucidate the features of these habitats for understanding ecotypic differentiation of wild rice in Myanmar.ミャンマーはイネの遺伝資源中心地のひとつとして古くから知られ, 在来品種のみならず近縁野生種の多様性も近隣諸国に比べよく保存されている. しかしながら, 北部 Kachin 州や西部 Rakhin 州など調査が十分に行われていない地域もある. そこで, 今回, ミャンマー農業灌漑省農業研究部 (DAR) と共同でミャンマーの北部および西部地域を中心に野生イネの調査・収集を生物研ジーンバンク事業として実施した. 今回の探索で, 野生イネは合計で102点を収集した. このうち, O. rufipogon は93点, O. officinalis は6点, O. granulata は3点である. 今回ミャンマー北部および西部で収集した O. rufipogon の主な特徴をみると, 多くの野生イネが水田脇の湿地や水路に自生しており, 人や家畜による撹乱を受けていた. いくつかの水田脇の自生地では hybrid swarm が形成されていたが, 必ずしも水田脇の集団に hybrid swarm が形成されているとは限らなかった. 水深の深い湿地の野生イネは浮稲性を持っていたが, 比較的浅い湿地では地面に根を張る野生イネが多く観察された. 一方, 草丈と水位の関係は, 必ずしも相関があるようには観察されなかった. 野生イネの種子稔性は一般に低い傾向にあったが, 栽培種との雑種と思われる個体は種子稔性が比較的高かった. 地域ごとに特異的な特徴をみると, 北部 Kachin 州のIndawgyi 湖では, 高い種子稔性を持った浮稲性の野生イネの巨大な自生地を発見した. Rakhine 州や Ayeyarwady 管区では, 水田脇に短稈型で非開帳性の穂を持つ野生イネを多数観察した. これら地域ごとに特異的な集団の特性を明らかにすることは, ミャンマーの野生イネの生態を理解するうえで重要である

ミャンマー連邦北シャン州における雑穀・コンニャク遺伝資源の探索収集

A collaborative exploration between Japan and Myanmar to collect some millets and Konjak in Northern Shan State of Myanmar was undertaken from Dec. 1 to Dec 30 in 2000. The regions explored were Pyin Oo Lwin, Kyaume, Namtu, Lashio, Laukai, Kutkhai and Muse. A total of 65 millet seed samples and a total of 45 Konjak tubers were collected during the exploration. Seed samples collected include 18 of job\u27s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen), 15 of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), 2 of tatary buckwheat (F. tataricum Gaertn),2 of wild buckwheat (F. cymosum Meissn), 8 of foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.), 4 of Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn), 5 of Niger (Guizotia abyssinica (L.) Cass.), 3 of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), 7 of Perilla (Perilla frutescens Britton), 1 of Corn (Zea mays L.). Job\u27s tears were mainly cultivated with upland rice by Palon tribe people. Common buckwheats were cultivated at mountain area in Kutkhai and Laukai region. Konjaks were not cultivated by farmhouse but collected by Shan tribe people at mountains. Millets were cultivated by Shan people

ミャンマー連邦シャン州北部およびカチン州における稲遺伝資源の探索収集

Myanmar is a country having a large genetic diversity of crop genetic resources. But through the introduction of improved varieties, local varieties so called landraces are now on the verge of extinction. It is a critical stage to explore, collect and conserve domestic plant genetic resources in the country for future utilization. Thus a joint rice exploration program of MAFF Genebank project and Myanmar Seed Bank was carried out in the Northern Shan State and Kachin State of Myanmar from November 16 to December 15,2000. Of the lowland rice varieties collected, 80 percent were improved varieties introduced from foreign countries in the past 3～5 years. However some landraces suitable for the eating habitat of local people or local agro-ecological conditions such as alkali soil are still remained. On the other hand, most of the upland rice varieties were landraces although improved varieties have been gradually introduced. A total of 104 varieties including landraces, improved varieties and wild rices were collected. In the landraces, a big variation was observed on grain shape, grain color, plant type, tolerance to cool weather and resistance to pests and diseases

ミャンマー国における雑穀および特用作物遺伝資源の探索収集のための現地事前調査

Collaborative preliminary survey between Japan and Myanmar for exploration and collection of small grain and industrial crop germplasm was carried out in the northern part of Mandalay Division and northern areas of Shan state in Myanmar, from March 28 to April 11, 2000 (Table 1, Fig. 1). The cultivation information of small grain and industrial crop germplasm was obtained. Furthermore, seeds of 9 crops, i. e. buckwheat, Job\u27s tears, foxtail millet, sesame, perilla, rapeseed, niger, mustard, Chinese kale and tuber of elephant foot were collected (Table 2). Successfully, we were able to find the native varieties of common buckwheat and Job\u27s tears which were cultivated by the minority race, for instance Kachin and Palaung peoples in northern areas of Shan State. However, the Japanese buckwheat cv. \u27Kitawase-soba\u27 was introduced as a substitute crop for opium poppy in this region from last year (Fig. 2). We think that it is necessary to carry out further exploration and collection of native varieties without delay

Confirmation of Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock tianxing) in Myanmar extends known geographic range of an endangered primate

Characterizing genetically distinct populations of primates is important for protecting biodiversity and effectively allocating conservation resources. Skywalker gibbons (Hoolock tianxing) were first described in 2017, with the only confirmed population consisting of 150 individuals in Mt. Gaoligong, Yunnan Province, China. Based on river geography, the distribution of the skywalker gibbon has been hypothesized to extend into Myanmar between the N’Mai Kha and Ayeyarwaddy Rivers to the west, and the Salween River (named the Thanlwin River in Myanmar and Nujiang River in China) to the east. We conducted acoustic point-count sampling surveys, collected noninvasive samples for molecular mitochondrial cytochrome b gene identification, and took photographs for morphological identification at six sites in Kachin State and three sites in Shan State to determine the presence of skywalker gibbons in predicted suitable forest areas in Myanmar. We also conducted 50 semistructured interviews with members of communities surrounding gibbon range forests to understand potential threats. In Kachin State, we audio-recorded 23 gibbon groups with group densities ranging between 0.57 and 3.6 group/km2. In Shan State, we audio-recorded 21 gibbon groups with group densities ranging between 0.134 and 1.0 group/km2. Based on genetic data obtained from skin and saliva samples, the gibbons were identified as skywalker gibbons (99.54–100% identity). Although these findings increase the species’ known population size and confirmed distribution, skywalker gibbons in Myanmar are threatened by local habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. Most of the skywalker gibbon population in Myanmar exists outside protected areas. Therefore, the IUCN Red List status of the skywalker gibbon should remain as Endangered

Examination of the Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours of some University Students

The purpose of this study was to explore an empirical examination of the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of some university students. This study was also aimed to ascertain differences the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours based on students’ gender. In addition, the relationships environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes to environmental behaviours were studied. The sample consisted of 360 students (163 male and 197 female) from 4 Universities in Amapura, Sagaing and Kyaukse Township. In the analysis of data, the descriptive statistics, independent t-test and correlation analysis were used. Results of descriptive study showed that University students had moderate level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards environment. Based on gender, there were no significant differences in terms of attitudes and behaviours towards environment. However, there was significant difference in terms of knowledge which male students had higher knowledge to environment as compared to female students. According to the Pearson correlation results, the environmental knowledge and attitudes of students were correlated with environmental behaviours. However, the correlation is weak

Seroepidemiologic Survey of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Logging Communities, Myanmar.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is endemic in Asia, infecting many animal hosts, but CCHFV has not been reported in Myanmar. We conducted a seroepidemiologic survey of logging communities in Myanmar and found CCHFV exposure was common (9.8%) and exposure to wild animal blood and body fluids was associated with seropositivity