Developed a chemical that protects olive trees from pests Obtained a patent based on the research results of a faculty member Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Professor Atsushi Mitsumoto (left) and Associate Professor Yamazaki Lab.

Incorporated Educational Institution Josai University, which manages the university, has obtained a patent for a chemical that protects olive trees from insects that cause feeding damage. The inventors, Professor Atsushi Mitsumoto and Associate Professor Yamazaki Laboratory of the Faculty Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, have developed a behavior observation device for the olive weevil and clarified that several types of natural products exhibit a repellent effect. I've arrived.

Togane City in Chiba prefecture, where our main campus is located, has been developing an initiative to make olives a specialty product for about 10 years. The university has also collaborated with the city beyond the boundaries of the faculty, for example, receiving seedlings from the city and growing about 100 olive trees on campus, students helping farmers harvest the olives, and students designing the packaging for Togane-grown olive oil. Olives have also played a role in the university's contribution to the local community by donating crowns made from olive leaves to municipal elementary school marathons, compiling leaflets on the health benefits of olives and distributing them to municipal elementary and junior high schools for nutrition education, and offering a "Familiarity with Olives" course for local citizens. Olive trees also play a role in the university's contribution to the local community.

Professor Mitsumoto and others are presiding over these activities related to olives at our university as the "Olive Producing Region Support Project". I heard from city officials and producers that the damage caused by these insects, which are endemic to Japan, is a major factor hindering the growth of olives in Japan. Through literature research and field research, Professor Mitsumoto and his colleagues felt that there was a lack of countermeasures against this problem, and proceeded with their own research, discovering that several types of environmentally friendly natural products have repellent effects against this insect. .

It is expected that the commercialization of this chemical, which can greatly reduce the labor required for cultivation management, will greatly advance olive cultivation in Togane City and Japan.

[Overview of the patent]
The patents acquired this time are as follows.
・Patent number: Patent No. 7312488
・Patent registration date: July 12, 2023
・Title of invention: "Repellent agent for olive weevil and method for using the repellent agent"
・Patent holder: Incorporated Educational Institution Josai University
・Inventor: Atsushi Mitsumoto, Yamazaki Laboratory