We proposed and developed a “one-stop service system to support protected horticultural production" in greenhouses based on the working standard for the Ubiquitous Environment Control System (UECS) standard. To record and share crop cultivation information in the form of an electronic field note, we developed and tested two applications based on the Android platform and the extended UECS communication protocol (UECS-CCM). We named the applications the UECS tweeting application (Tsubuyaki-appli) and the UECS tweet-sharing application (Kyoyu-appli). Tsubuyaki-appli sends extended UECS-CCM packets over a greenhouse local area network (LAN). The packets include a photo of the greenhouse crop and a short description, and are transmitted using mobile devices such as an Android smartphone. Kyoyu-appli receives the extended UECS-CCM packets and displays the received information by using a social network service interface. Our testing of both applications revealed that they promoted sharing of information among greenhouse workers, with the only requirement being a low-cost Android device. We expect that such applications will lead to further advances in greenhouse crop production technology.

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In an effort to streamline the processing of agricultural data, including details of crop growth and environmental conditions that were affecting crop production, we developed the FIX-pms data format. Our goal was to provide a standardized way to express data related to the management of agricultural production processes. FIX-pms is based on the EU's agroXML standard format, and is designed to express the primary data managed by PMS, a farm management information system using field maps in Japan. FIX-pms also incorporates GML to express geographic information from the field maps, BIX-pp to express environmental measurement data, and GPXX to express mobile measurement data.

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An Analytic Network Process (ANP) modeling for a decision support system was proposed to identify suitable options for biomass energy plants using rice husk in rural areas of Thailand. In this attempt, direct combustion and gasification systems for a biomass energy plant were evaluated. An ANP-based model was used to consider criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives. Environmental and social problems were considered to construct the model. The ANP modeling used multiple criteria analysis and specific alternatives to clarify discussion points in decision making. The study area was selected based on the maximum availability of rice husk in the Suphanburi and Nakhonsawan provinces of Thailand. Prior to the field survey, a focus group discussion and later a structured questionnaire were used to interview the respondents in the provinces. The ANP model was influenced by the policy for developing rural area support in Thailand. For criteria priorities, benefits-criterion and risks-criterion had the highest priorities. The ANP model results showed that the gasification system was likely a better alternative than the direct combustion system in a cooperative scenario considering environmental and social concerns. In contrast, direct combustion was likely a suitable energy plant in an industrial scenario considering the benefits and economic issues.

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Evaluation functions for minimizing the disparity between energy supply and demand and reducing the field area for biomass production, which are based on energy benefits, were proposed in a system design for biofuel production. An Exergy Profit Ratio (ExPR) and an extended the Energy Profit Ratio (EPR) were also proposed to measure the quality and availability of energy for the biofuel plant in Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. In the calculation of minimum field area of biomass production based on societal demand in household of Utsunomiya City, 17,500 ha was the minimum value by the evaluation function by energy (E_system) and 29,500 ha was the minimum value by the evaluation function by exergy (E_system^EX) under the case of lighting: 100% electricity; heating: 89% electricity and 11% of vapor. On the other hand, 17,000 ha was the minimum value by E_system and 29,000 ha was the minimum value by E_system^EX under the case of lighting: 100% electricity; heating: 100% electricity and 100% of vapor. Thus, if EPR and E_system of bio-ethanol & electricity production were underestimated for a minimum field area, then ExPR and E_system^EX could be used to maintain the results of introducing biofuel production to prevent field area shortages for biofuel production.

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