Changes in Farm Organization of Upland Farming Using Smart Agriculture Technology

A Case Study of Large-Scale farming in the Tokachi Region of Hokkaido

Abstract

This study aims to identify changes in land use and introduced technologies, as well as changes in work systems and their characteristics. The research object is a large-scale upland farm in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, which operates mainly with family labor. The following conclusions can be drawn:
The farm is oriented toward establishing a crop rotation system with four crops, even as the planted area of crops expands. Land use and introduced technologies are changing large-scale upland farming. There has been a reorganization of work processes, particularly in the spring season, and the introduction of technology to prevent breeding, extermination, and harvesting. This change significantly reduced the number of labor hours. It is inferred that large-scale upland farms will necessarily practice prevention of breeding and extermination, harvesting, and combination operations using large machinery, based on the premise of smart agricultural technology.