Assoc. Prof. Mitsuru Tsubo


Research Themes

  • Plant canopy structure and radiation balance under stressed conditions of water
  • Water movement in the soil-plant atmosphere continuum system under dry conditions
  • Plant response to drought
  • Model development of plant production under drought
  • Risk assessment of plant production under drought
  • Framework of a drought early warning system

Brief CV

［Educational background］ 1992 B.Agr. (Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan)
1997 M.S. (Iowa State University, U.S.A.)
2000 Ph.D. (The University of the Orange Free State, South Africa)
［Professional background］ 2001 Postdoctoral Researcher, The University of the Free State, South Africa
2003 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland, Australia
2006 Associate Professor, Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Japan

Selected publications

  • Bat-Oyun T, Shinoda M and Tsubo M. 2012. Effects of cloud, atmospheric water vapor, and dust on photosynthetically active radiation and total solar radiation in a Mongolian grassland. Journal of Arid Land 4(4), 349-356.
  • Bat-Oyun T, Shinoda M and Tsubo M. 2012. Effects of water and temperature stresses on radiation use efficiency in a semi-arid grassland. Journal of Plant Interactions 17(3), 214-224.
  • Han L, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2012. Active and passive microwave remote sensing of springtime near-surface thaw at midlatitudes. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 9(3), 427-431.
  • Haregeweyn N, Fikadu G, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M, Meshesha D. 2012. The dynamics of urban expansion and its impacts on land use/land cover change and small-scale framers living near the urban fringe: a case study of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Landscape and Urban Planning 106(2), 149-157.
  • Haregeweyn N, Melesse B, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M, Meshesha D and Balana BB. 2012. Reservoir sedimentation and its mitigating strategies: a case study of Angereb reservoir (NW Ethiopia). Journal of Soils and Sediments 12(2), 291-305.
  • Inthavong T, Tsubo M and Fukai S. 2012. Soil clay content, rainfall and toposequence positions determining spatial variation in field water availability as estimated by a water balance model for rainfed lowland rice. Crop and Pasture Science 63(6), 529-538.
  • Meshesha DT, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2012. Continuing land degradation: cause-effect in Ethiopia’s Central Rift Valley. Land Degradation & Development 23(2), 130-143.
  • Meshesha DT, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M and Haregeweyn N. 2012. Analysis of the dynamics and hotspots of soil erosion and its management scenarios: case of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. International Journal of Sediment Research 27(1), 84-99.
  • Tsubo M, Nishihara E, Nakamatsu K, Cheng Y and Shinoda M. 2012. Plant volatiles inhibit restoration of plant species communities in dry grassland. Basic and Applied Ecology 13(1), 76-84.
  • Cheng Y, Tsubo M, Ito TY, Nishihara E and Shinoda M. 2011. Impact of rainfall variability and grazing pressure on plant diversity in Mongolian grasslands. Journal of Arid Environments 75(5), 471-476.
  • Han L, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2011. Effect of frozen ground on dust outbreaks in spring on the eastern Mongolian Plateau. Geomorphology 129(3-4), 412-416.
  • Han L, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2011. Radar remote sensing of springtime near-surface soil thaw events at middle latitudes. International Journal of Remote Sensing 32(23), 8555-8574.
  • Han X, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M and Li S. 2011. Aboveground biomass response to increasing nitrogen deposition on grassland on the northern Loess Plateau of China. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science 61(2), 112-121.
  • Inthavong T, Fukai S and Tsubo M. 2011. Spatial variations in water availability, soil fertility and grain yield in rainfed lowland rice: a case study from Savannakhet province, Lao PDR. Plant Production Science 14(2), 184-195.
  • Inthavong T, Tsubo M and Fukai S. 2011. A water balance model for characterization of length of growing period and water stress development for rainfed lowland rice. Field Crops Research 121(2), 291-301.
  • Meshesha DT, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M and Haregeweyn N. 2011. Spatial analysis and semi-quantitative modeling of specific sediment yield in six catchments of the central rift valley of Ethiopia. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment 9(3-4), 784-792.
  • Bat-Oyun T, Shinoda M and Tsubo M. 2010. Estimation of pasture productivity in Mongolian grasslands: field survey and model simulation. Journal of Agricultural Meteorology 66(1), 31-39.
  • Han L, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2010. Monitoring near-surface soil freeze-thaw cycles in northern China and Mongolia from 1998 to 2007. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 12(5), 375-384.
  • Han X, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M and Li S. 2010. Effects of land-cover type and topography on soil organic carbon storage on Northern Loess Plateau, China. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science 60(4), 326-334.
  • Li L, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M and Koike A. 2010. Considerations on sustainable agriculture and rural development in dryland areas. Journal of Northeast Agricultural University (English Edition) 17(4), 20-24.
  • Li L, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M, Koike A and Wang J. 2010. Assessing total factor productivity and efficiency change for farmers participating in Grain for Green Program in China: A case study from Ansai, Loess Plateau. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment 8(2), 1185-1192.
  • Li L, Tsunekawa A, Tsubo M, Koike A and Wang J. 2010. Efficiency and its determinant factors for smallholder farms in the Grain for Green Program on the Loess Plateau, China. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment 8(3-4), 772-778.
  • Shinoda M, Kimura R, Mikami M, Tsubo M, Nishihara E, Ishizuka M, Yamada Y, Munkhtsetseg E, Jugder D and Kurosaki Y. 2010. Characteristics of dust emission in the Mongolian Steppe during the 2008 DUVEX intensive observational period. SOLA (Scientific Online Letters on the Atmosphere) 6, 9-12.
  • Tsubo M, Ogindo HO, Walker S and Dingaan MNV. 2009. Determining daily radiation interception in a semi-arid inter-cropping system. Discovery and Innovation 21(1-2), 94-103.
  • Tsubo M, Fukai S, Basnayake J and Ouk M. 2009. Frequency of occurrence of various drought types and its impact on performance of photoperiod-sensitive and insensitive rice genotypes in rainfed lowland conditions in Cambodia. Field Crops Research 113(3), 287-296.
  • Tesfaye K, Walker S and Tsubo M. 2008. Comparison of water relations, leaf gas exchange and assimilation of three grain legumes under reproductive period water deficit. Journal of Agronomy 7(2), 102-114.
  • Zhang B, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2008. Contributions of sandy lands and stony deserts to long-distance dust emission in China and Mongolia during 2000-2006. Global and Planetary Change 60(3-4), 487-504.
  • Zhang B, Tsunekawa A and Tsubo M. 2008. Satellite monitoring and synoptic analysis of dust storms from China and Mongolia: A case study during 6–11 April 2001. Sand Dune Research 55(1), 13-23.
  • Mebrhatu MT, Tsubo M and Walker S. 2007. A statistical model for seasonal rainfall forecasting over the highlands of Eritrea. Discovery and Innovation 19(1), 37-42.
  • Ouk M, Basnayake J, Tsubo M, Fukai S, Fischer KS, Kang S, Men S, Thun V and Cooper M. 2007. Genotype-by-environment interactions for grain yield associated with water availability at flowering in rainfed lowland rice. Field Crops Research 101(2), 145-154.
  • Tsubo M, Fukai S, Basnayake J, Tuong TP, Bouman B and Harnpichitvitaya D. 2007. Effects of soil clay content on water balance and productivity in rainfed lowland rice ecosystem in Northeast Thailand. Plant Production Science 10(2), 232-241.
  • Tsubo M and Walker S. 2007. An assessment of productivity of maize grown under water harvesting system in a semi-arid region with special reference to ENSO. Journal of Arid Environments 71(3), 299-311.
  • Tsubo M, Fukai S, Tuong TP and Ouk M. 2007. A water balance model for rainfed lowland rice fields emphasising lateral water movement within a toposequence. Ecological Modelling 204(3-4), 503-515.
  • Ouk M, Kang S, Thun V, Sakhan S, Then R, Pin C, Pruch P, Ith Y, Fukai S, Fisher KS, Basnayake J and Tsubo M. 2006. Rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) performance under contrasting water availabilities in Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Agriculture 7(1), 1-11.
  • Ouk M, Basnayake J, Tsubo M, Fukai S, Fischer KS, Cooper M and Nesbitt H. 2006. Use of drought response index for identification of drought tolerant genotypes in rainfed lowland rice. Field Crops Research 99(1), 48-58.
  • Tesfaye K, Walker S and Tsubo M. 2006. Radiation interception and radiation use efficiency of three grain legumes under water deficit conditions in a semi-arid environment. European Journal of Agronomy 25(1), 60-70.
  • Tsubo M, Basnayake J, Fukai S, Sihathep V, Siyavong P, Sipaseuth and Chanphengsay M. 2006. Toposequential effects on water balance and productivity in rainfed lowland rice ecosystem in Southern Laos. Field Crops Research 97(2-3), 209-220.
  • Tsubo M and Walker S. 2005. Relationships between photosynthetically active radiation and clearness index at Bloemfontein, South Africa. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 80(1), 17-25.
  • Tsubo M, Walker S and Ogindo HO. 2005. A simulation model of cereal-legume intercropping systems for semi-arid regions. I. Model development. Field Crops Research 93(1), 10-22.
  • Tsubo M, Walker S and Ogindo HO. 2005. A simulation model of cereal-legume intercropping systems for semi-arid regions. II. Model application. Field Crops Research 93(1), 23-33.
  • Tsubo M, Fukai S, Basnayake J, Tuong TP, Bouman B and Harnpichitvitaya D. 2005. Estimating percolation and lateral water flow on sloping land in rainfed lowland rice ecosystem. Plant Production Science 8(3), 354-357.
  • Tsubo M, Walker S and Hensley M. 2005. Quantifying risk for water harvesting under semi-arid conditions. Part I. Rainfall intensity generation. Agricultural Water Management 76(2), 77-93.
  • Walker S, Tsubo M and Hensley M. 2005. Quantifying risk for water harvesting under semi-arid conditions. Part II. Crop yield simulation. Agricultural Water Management 76(2), 94-107.
  • Tsubo M and Walker S. 2004. Shade effects on Phaseolus vulgaris L. intrercropped with Zea mays L. under well-watered conditions. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 190(3), 168-176.
  • Tsubo M, Ogindo HO and Walker S. 2004. Yield evaluation of maize-bean intercropping in a semi-arid region of South Africa. African Crop Science Journal 12(4), 351-358.
  • Tsubo M and Walker S. 2003. Relationships between diffuse and global solar radiation in southern Africa. South African Journal of Science 99(7-8), 360-362.
  • Tsubo M, Mukhala E, Ogindo HO and Walker S. 2003. Productivity of maize-bean intercropping in a semi-arid region of South Africa. Water SA 29(4), 381-388.
  • Tsubo M and Walker S. 2002. A model of radiation interception and use by a maize-bean intercrop canopy. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 110(3), 203-215.
  • Tsubo M, Walker S and Mukhala E. 2001. Comparisons of radiation use efficiency of mono-/inter-cropping systems with different row orientations. Field Crops Research 71(1), 17-29.