To strengthen the international cooperation and exchange, Professor Akihiro Itai from Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan was invited to visit the Institute of Shijiazhuang Fruit Research from June 23^rd to 27^th. Vice president ZHANG Qiang met with Professor Akihiro Itai and warmly welcomed the visit. He hoped that both sides would strengthen practical cooperation in the future and promote fruitful results in the field of agricultural science and technological innovation.

Professor Akihiro Itai provided on-site guidance on the management techniques of field trial materials and cultivation techniques for fruit tree distant hybridization during his visit, and provided detailed answers on summer pruning technique, inter row grass management, orchard waste disposal, prevention and control measures for natural disasters in orchard, and selection of rootstock for different tree species. In addition, deep communication with relevant scientists on optimizing the experimental plan and steps were conducted in the laboratory. Professor Akihiro Itai also delivered an academic report titled "Research on lignin content and composition during the development of pear and distant hybridization of fruit trees", which helped to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific research progress in fruit tree breeding and cultivation fields between China and Japan.

（Source from www.hebnky.com）