“Ultra‑Rapid Breeding” for Lettuce via “Neutron Irradiation × Plant Factory Breeding”
2025.08.19Demonstrating a new approach to breed cultivars dedicated to plant factories.
Quantum Flowers & Foods (QFF) and Leaf Lab Launch Joint Research
Mito, Ibaraki – August 19, 2025 – Quantum Flowers & Foods Inc. (QFF; Head Office: Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture; CEO: Norio Kikuchi), which offers an ultra‑fast cultivar improvement service using quantum biotechnology called Neutron‑Speedy Breeding® (non‑GMO), and Leaf Lab Inc. (Head Office: Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture; CEO: Tatsu Maruo), a Chiba University spin‑out venture that provides a high-speed hybridization breeding system using artificial‑light plant factories and precise environment control, today announced the start of a joint research project to breed lettuce varieties optimized for plant factories.
By combining the strengths of both companies’ breeding approaches, they aim to realize a food infrastructure that is safe, sustainable, and of high quality, and thereby contribute to solving social challenges.
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Background and Purpose of the Joint Research
Due to climate change, extremes in weather, heat damage, drought, and the spread of pests and diseases, the stability of yield and quality in open‑field and greenhouse cultivation is becoming increasingly jeopardized. At the same time, with population concentration in urban areas, an aging population, declining agricultural labor, and difficulties in passing on skills, maintaining a stable production system has become more and more challenging.
This joint research seeks to develop high‑performance lettuce cultivars specifically for plant factories in a short period of time, by combining QFF’s neutron irradiation non‑GMO breeding technology with Leaf Lab’s high-speed cross‑breeding system in precision‑controlled plant factory environments.
Combined Breeding Approach by Both Parties
QFF employs a mutation induction technology using neutron irradiation that can efficiently introduce a variety of functional mutations — such as point mutations, deletions, insertions, and rearrangements. Irradiation is not limited to seeds but can also be applied to growing points or callus, giving it greater flexibility over mutation breeding via chemicals, with fewer off‑target effects. The technology is also applicable to microorganisms.
Leaf Lab, on the other hand, leverages Japan’s advanced artificial‑light plant factory technology to stably deliver cultivars that offer high productivity, resource efficiency, safety, and consistent quality. The company has successfully developed lettuce varieties with extremely strong resistance to tip burn. Because they can accurately replicate controlled cultivation environments year-round, they are capable of custom (“tailor‑made”) breeding suited to individual facility conditions.
Comments
Norio Kikuchi, CEO of QFF :
“Through collaboration with Leaf Lab, we will combine the diverse beneficial mutations produced via Neutron‑Speedy Breeding® with high-speed cross‑breeding in precision environment–controlled plant factories, thereby rapidly introducing lettuce cultivars optimized for such facilities. Given that it is increasingly difficult to maintain stable supply via open‑field cultivation under climate change and labor shortages, we are convinced that this joint research will be a key to supporting a safe, sustainable, and high-quality food infrastructure. Beginning with the selection of commercial-level cultivars in 2025, we plan to expand our application to leafy vegetable species in general and contribute to solving challenges facing plant factory operators and producers worldwide.”
Tatsu Maruo, CEO of Leaf Lab :
“By collaborating with QFF, we expect to further evolve our high-speed breeding technology and achieve ultra-rapid breeding. As abrupt climate change and the sharp decline of agricultural labor intensify, traditional hybrid breeding may no longer suffice to respond in time to emerging challenges. Developing breeding methods that can respond as quickly as possible is absolutely essential, and we believe this collaboration offers a realistic alternative distinct from genome editing. Through establishing this technology, Leaf Lab aims to make further contributions toward solving global food issues.”
Future Plans
As a first step, breeding and selection of lettuce varieties suited for plant factories will be conducted during the 2025 fiscal year, with the goal of commercial evaluation and deployment of the selected cultivars. Beyond lettuce, the project intends to expand to a wide range of leafy vegetables and other crops high in demand for plant factories. Ultimately, they aim to build a new breeding model that provides one‑stop services — from breeding, screening, and introduction to cultivation support — for proprietary cultivars suited for plant factory environments, including contract breeding services for third parties.
Company Profiles
[Quantum Flowers & Foods Inc.]
Address: 2‑101 Le Rêve Mikawa, 2563‑77 Mikawacho, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture
CEO: Norio Kikuchi
Established: July 2018
Business: Provision of “Neutron‑Speedy Breeding®” services; R&D in quantum biotechnology
Website: https://www.qff.jp/
[Leaf Lab Inc.]
Address: KOIL, 6th Floor, 178‑4 Wakashiba, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture
CEO: Tatsu Maruo
Established: May 2020
Business: Development of cultivars for plant factories, tailor‑made breeding, cultivation technology development, support for plant factory implementation
Website: https://leaflab.tech/
Contact Information
Quantum Flowers & Foods (QFF)
Business Solutions Department: Shunsuke Naito
E‑mail: info@qff.jp
Phone: 03‑6661‑1611
Leaf Lab
Contact: Tatsu Maruo
E‑mail: info@leaflab.tech
Unofficial English translation of a Japanese press release published on PR TIMES. For official terms, please refer to the original Japanese text.
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