Sunflowers have started blooming in the garden in front of the university!

At the COI-NEXT Center at Nagaoka University of Technology, we are conducting experimental vegetable cultivation not only in rice paddies but also in vegetable fields.
Pesticide-free farming is a constant battle against weeds. Mr. Azuma, our field leader, is working tirelessly on the front lines of this battle against weeds.
As for that field in front of the university, since we don’t use chemical fertilizers, we plant sunflowers every other year to prevent the soil from becoming depleted. Those sunflowers are growing vigorously and have started to bloom.
There are still many buds, so the best time to see them will probably be in late July. Please come visit us at the University Front Field!

It’s easy to assume that sunflowers are called “himawari” because they face the sun, but apparently, once the flowers bloom, they remain fixed facing east. It seems that insects are drawn to the flowers after they’ve been warmed by the morning sun. That’s interesting, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, however, the COI-NEXT sign is located on the north side of the sunflower field.