2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Mechanization for agrochemical-free, direct sowing culture of a paddy with non-woven fabric mulch
| Project/Area Number |
17580224
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Agricultural environmental engineering
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| Research Institution | Ehime University |
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Principal Investigator |
YAMASHITA Jun Ehime University, Agricultural, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (40036405)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SUGIMOTO Hideki Ehime University, Agricultual, Associate Professor, 農学部, 助教授 (40112255)
ARIMA Seiichi Ehime University, Agricultual, Associate Professor, 農学部, 助教授 (60335891)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
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| Keywords | agrochemical-free, direct-sowing culture of paddy field / non-woven fabric mulch / weed control / production cost reduction / labor saving / sowing system / multiple laying system / working capacity at field |
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| Research Abstract |
Direct-sowing culture of paddy rice using non-woven fabric mulching system is a new rice cultivation method in Japan. Non-woven fabric (cloth) mulching involved the sandwiching of paddy rice seeds in between two layer of mulch using the developed sowing technique. This technique was purposely developed for environmental safety, low cost, weed control, and save labor. Cloth mulching roll measured 100m in length, lm wide and weighs 10kg. This mulching roll is laid in the farm manually by the farmer.
To mechanize the application of the rolled mulch, increase the work efficiency, and reduce the work load of the farmer, a single and multiple-laying system using a rice trans-planter was manufactured and tested. The prototype composed of the cloth laying frame that can accommodate one or two rolls of mulch. This frame is directly installed in the hydrostatic link of the rice trans-planter and can move up and down. Additional parts such as rolled water hose, spray nozzles, and small dc motor fo
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r nozzle oscillation were installed. Water spraying at 3 MPa through the nozzle located at a certain height above the mulch roll is used to prevent the mulch dislocation from wind blow. Further, the work efficiency and the operators' work load in using the prototype were investigated.
The work efficiency of the prototype was examined in the experimental field at 14 days after puddling using the two-roll type applicator at 0.9m/s operational speed. It was found that the number of mulch rolls lay increased by 30 percent when compared to the single-roll type. However, two-roll type applicator equaled with the general rice trans-planter capacity having a 8.9 a/h in a small field and 21.6 a/h in large fields. For the operators' stress, the heart beat rate increased as affected by the puddling period. Heart beat was 114.1 percent (Mets 1.8) at 14 days after puddling and 120.5 percent (Mets 2.2) at 2 days after puddling.
Evidently, the hardness of the soil as a function of puddling time lowered the work load. In this study, it is understood that the two-roll type mulch laying machine is feasible for large-scale paddy filed. Less
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