2020 Volume 38 Issue 1 Pages 18-23
We conducted an experiment on crop rotation methods using dry direct seeding rice cultivation, and plowing and compaction to restore field agriculture on the Sendai Plain in Miyagi prefecture, Japan. We consolidated 30a plots into two larger plots measuring 3.4 ha and 2.2 ha. A two-year, three-crop rotation system was then used to cultivate rice, wheat and soybeans in both fields from 2013. The average yields of rice, wheat and soybeans after three years were 533, 403 and 226 kg/10a, respectively. Further, the obtained yields were stable. The cost of 60 kg of rice, wheat and soybeans was JPY 6,806, JPY 7,397 and JPY 14,664, which is equivalent to 57%, 46%, and 72% compared to the average statistics in the Tohoku region, respectively. Due to irregularities in soil fertility, we employed a variable rate fertilization technique to prepare the large consolidated fields for cultivation. Using these methods, the cost of 60 kg of rice was further reduced by 3 points due to the increase in yields. Nine years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, numerous 100 ha-scale farms have been established. As a result, the application of dry direct seeding rice cultivation using plowing and compaction is increasing in this area.
