We develop the labor-saving, low-cost and stable production technology of rice and soybean in paddy fields in the Tohoku region.
In rice production, we have developed a direct seeding technology of non-coated rice seeds using the puddling seeder called "Kantan!" which we have also developed. This technology does not require laborious seed coating and finishing puddling because the non-coated and pregerminated rice seeds are sown at the same time as finishing puddling. For stable production, we are developing the technology that promotes seedling establishment, water management and weed control technology. For transplanted rice, weed control technology for hardly controllable weeds such as jointvetch is being developed using new herbicides and cultural weed control.
In rice production for feed, high-yielding rice cultivars are often avoided for fear that volunteer rice of the high-yielding cultivars might be mixed in the bland rice when the bland cultivar is planted the following year. This results in low yield for feed and consequently high cost. We showed that lime nitrogen application reduces volunteer rice to one sixth. We are now investigating the most effective condition for lime nitrogen application and developing an integrated control technology with herbicides.
In soybean, we develop a production technology cultivated in upland fields converted from paddy fields. An improved sowing method to avoid the damage of soybean from drought or wet stress is developed by preparing strip-tillage at sowing with chisel plough between rows. We adopt the method to narrow-row cultivation system of soybean and extend it as a labor-saving technology. In addition, top dressing and dense planting are adopted to increase the yield in the Tohoku region. For weed control, we investigate the varietal deference in the damages caused by a new foliage applied herbicide "fluthiacet-methyl", and develop a technology with the herbicide to control hardly controllable weeds such as black nightshades.
Direct seeding of non-coated rice seeds using the puddling seeder
