Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO

Soil and Plant Health Management Group

The Soil and Plant Health Management Group is in charge of research for the management of paddy soils and plant protection. To sustain high productivity in crop rotations between irrigated paddy rice and upland crops in lowland (paddy-upland rotation), soil fertility needs to be maintained at a suitable level. We employ a new and easy soil diagnosis technique to evaluate soil fertility and to keep the fertility at a suitable level with compost application. We are also developing soil management technologies to establish appropriate resource-recycling farming system in which swine is fed with forage rice and the rice is grown with the application of the swine manure. Global warming is inevitable even in the cool climate region of Japan where Tohoku Agricultural Research Center is located. We are exploring adaptation technologies for global warming which ensure sustaining soil fertility and rice production, based on the data analysis of long-term field experiments carried out over 45 years. Recently, the scale of land-extensive farming has become larger. As a result, an easy diagnosis technique is strongly needed, which can handily diagnose nutrient status of rice plants and help decide the rate of top dressing. To meet this need, we are developing a novel diagnosis technique to estimate the proper timing and the rate of top dressing.

Soybean is a major upland crop in the paddy-upland rotation. However, because soybean is vulnerable to both wet and drought injuries which often occur in lowland, the produce of soybean is unstable in the paddy-upland rotation. To overcome these difficulties, we conduct some unique research projects. A new seeding technology is being developed which can elongate the root of soybean to deeper place. Real-time diagnosis system of drought stress is being developed based on information about soil and climate conditions. A web-based system to deliver this real-time diagnosis is also being constructed. Additionally, we are creating an in situ measurement method of air permeability in soil which is crucial for upland crops in the paddy-upland rotation.

Long-term paddy field experiments on three elements (N, P, K) and compost application since 1968

Group Leader

TAKAHASHI Tomoki

Group Members

Centers・Institutes