The Technology Application Research Team was established with the purpose of coordinating the technology developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) according to the region and popularizing the technology across regions. Since April 2021, 7 tasks have been implemented at 5 locations (Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, Central Region Agricultural Research Center, Western Region Agricultural Research Center, Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center) nationwide. We will cooperate with the promotion association of Direct sowing of paddy rice and grain corn for the popularization of a Plow cultivation suppression system with direct sowing cultivation in dry field (NARO style direct sowing in dry field) and Uncoated direct sowing cultivation (NARO style direct sowing in flooded field) developed by Tohoku Agricultural Research Center. Simultaneously, we will carry out the tasks of smart paddy rice direct sowing cultivation that introduces the leaf age progression prediction model of barnyardgrass, drone growth diagnosis, digital water management technology, direct sowing cultivation chart, etc. After carrying out this task for two years, in 2023, we will aim to popularize the NARO style direct sowing in dry field to over 2,700ha in the Tohoku region, and the NARO style direct sowing in flooded field to over 500ha mainly in eastern Japan. Simultaneously, we will accelerate the popularization of direct sowing cultivation nationwide in collaboration with other regional agricultural research centers. So far members and task managers have been involved in NARO style direct sowing in dry field or NARO style direct sowing in flooded field from the perspectives of mechanical work system, paddy rice cultivation, weed control, and agricultural management. Hereafter, the new technology application research team will join together to tackle this issue.
