Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO

Farm Machinery and System Group

In order to promote agricultural development in the Tohoku region, the agricultural sector needs several technological innovations such as new farm working technology to achieve vigorous productivity with low labor cost in large-size paddy fields, collaborative technology between field and livestock farming through returning of livestock manure as natural cyclical functions, and technology for recovery of agriculture in regions affected by the nuclear power plant accident caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The Farm Machinery and System Group aims to settle such issues with high efficiency usage of agricultural machinery and facilities by conducting the following researches.

  1. Technical development for utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in farmland management for sustainable farming, and seeding machinery with high speed and accuracy, to facilitate the establishment of crop rotation system of rice, wheat, and soybean in huge size paddy fields based on dry seeded rice production method.

    Research on labor saving using GPS technology for evaluation of the effect of improvement in work precision, enhancement of soil-water retention by soil compaction after seeding, and stabilization of seeding-accuracy and budding with improved seeding machine.

  2. Development of mechanization technology to introduce the cultivation of vegetables into rice paddy field farming.

    Research on the mechanization system for harvesting of onion cultivated using the mulching method.

  3. Development of recycling methods for livestock excrement and analysis of their nutrient dynamics.

    Research on recovering ammonia and composting from domestic animal excrement.

  4. Development of utilization technology for facility heating of biomass resources.

    Research on energy evaluation of heating system for greenhouse facility for flowering plants using solid fuel made from crop residues and heat of combustion of wood chips biomass etc.

These researches are conducted in cooperation with local farmers who also allowed us to use their own fields. The latest information obtained from these studies is also shared with these farmers.

Upper left: Seeding machine under development. Upper right: Enhancement of soil water retention by field surface compaction. Lower left: Composting facility in the research site with farmers. Lower right: Heating system for the flower house using solid fuel made from crop residues, the heat of combustion of wood chips biomass. (A) hot water coil unit, (B) hot water storage tank, (C) exhaust heat exchanger, (D) rotary kiln burner, (E) fuel storage tank.

Group Leader

NAGASAKA Yoshisada

Group Members

Centers・Institutes