Devastation of agriculture in Prof. Kaneko's home prefecture of Miyagi puts him in action
− Why did you apply plasma technology to agriculture, in particular for strawberry cultivation?
Prof. Kaneko: 2011 saw much of the Tohoku region suffering from the March 11 disaster. Having grown up and spent most of my life in the region, I was used to the plentiful foodstuff being made therein but I noticed how these were being adversely impacted. Then I spotted an agricultural area which had been devastated and decided to help a strawberry greenhouse farm near Sendai in Yamamoto-cho. Strawberry crops can be grown in enclosed settings and these enable retention of plasma inside too.
The farmers responded by offering cooperation in the hope that if safe fruits and vegetables result, these would become even more viable on the market in just a few years' time, so they tried plasma applications for agriculture. I aim to realize so-called “non-pesticide-use farming via plasma” at the Japan level, readying to promote its adoption abroad in the near future under my project banner. It is said that life probably originated under lightning conditions, emerging from a plasma “soup.” I see study of this soup as providing a key to unraveling the mystery of how life originated on Earth.
Advancing into world arena under the banner of PlasmaAgri
(a trademarked phrase as well)
− Can you tell us about this project?
Prof. Kaneko: We hear it is backed by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) supported by the Japanese government, but what is its status now? Prof. Kaneko: The banner we selected for the project was “PlasmaAgri” [registered trademark], which combines the central ideas from the two words of plasma and agriculture... with JST support, it has been verified that our plasma mix is effective for use upon promoting plant growth, when it is applied under conditions like controlled humidity – this being one angle where our patents are based on – not to mention being able to counter the spread of pathogens without resorting to use of pesticides, as noted above. Plasma cleanses microchip substrates by grabbing impurities, so the same can be said of pathogens.
Future of plasma bright
− What are your future research plans? Will it extend into food processing?
Prof. Kaneko: Yes, food processing is our next target, to be followed by distribution... and our patents have been readied accordingly. Today, plasma research has gone past semiconductor engineering, leading to development of solutions to environmental problems, followed by work involving atmospheric-pressure / non-thermal plasma; this then delves into the origination of life, in addition to applications in the fields of medicine and agriculture. Previously, plasma research could only be conducted inside vacuum devices. Now, it is possible to create plasma in atmosphere, reaching beyond the constraints of its field. Tohoku University is an academic institution with an interdisciplinary outlook, the perfect place to expand this research, in tandem with increased plasma for general applications. The future looks bright.
