2005 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 143-147
Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN) has promoted the research and development of innovative agricultural technology for the problems of great urgency in Japanese agricultural production field in 1994-1999. Sorimachi Co., Ltd. was entrusted with “Research and development on the sophistication of water management of large paddy field”. The research achievements are distilled to the fact that “Water management automation systems for paddy field” developed in the above project is still in operation now in Niigata prefecture. The benefits of these systems include large reduction of hours of work in the water management, precise control of water level, preventative treatment for weather disasters and unification of local water management. While the disadvantage of high cost for introducing these systems is showed, the possibility of these systems to play the role in a part of the agricultural information network services is pointed out by viewing the development of wide area monitoring systems of paddy field.
