Beyond Tsunami disaster: Ten years’ activities to use uncultured field for biomass production of willow after the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi, Japan

抄録

The tsunami associated with the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 caused devastating damage to the Pacific coast of eastern Japan. Especially in Miyagi prefecture, the damage to the agricultural land reached about 15,000 ha. The authors have continued to respond to the earthquake for 10 years through the effective use of the disaster-stricken areas caused by the tsunami. In this report, we would like to introduce the activities comprehensively.

1. Activities by Commission of Agricultural Development for Arid Lands (CADAL), The Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies (JAALS)

Based on the activities of the members, CADAL held a lunch-on meeting at the annual conference and several symposiums with the field tour in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan in 2012-2016. At the lunch-on meeting, we were able to discuss how to utilize in the disaster area the knowledge gained by JAALS. Exchanging information with local stakeholders and farmers regarding the improvement of salt damage and the utilization of soil with low fertility was conducted in the symposiums. Such activities could provide reconstruction support to local people.

2. Willow growth test of fast-growing willow plantation

As part of the extensive effective utilization of the tsunami-stricken farm lands, we conducted a cultivation test using fast-growing willow (Salix spp.) and attempted biomass production. The cultivation trials were conducted in two fields in Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan in 2014-2020. Yields cultivated in 2 fields for 3-4 cultivation years amounted as 5.0 to 19.1 and 9.0 to 10.7 t・ha^–1・y^–1, respectively. As 10 t・ha^–1・y^–1 is regarded as a commercial criteria for biomass production, woody biomass more than the criteria can be collected even in sandy low fertility soil, depending on the appropriated strain selection and cultivation techniques such as mulching.

On the contrary, we would like to utilize the knowledge obtained in the trials to further desertification prevention activities.