Abstract
Loss of rice paddy levelness causes herbicides and fertilizers to act unevenly, and also has significant impacts on rice plant growth and yield, such as the submergence of transplanted seedlings and the seedling emergence rate in directly seeded fields.
To ensure stable production in large rice fields, we therefore conducted a demonstration test in fields using a tractor-drawn laser land leveler developed within the last few years for use when tilling. Our test found, among other things: 1) The laser land leveler offers precision leveling of field surfaces, but it is not as precise at plowsole leveling; 2) high precision is often not maintained when leveling paddy surfaces; and 3) efficiency varies with the operator. Additionally, we observed how a skilled operator performs leveling, and 4) proposed a procedure that takes advantage of the laser land leveler's features.
