We are now in an era that recycling agriculture, which uses less pesticides and fertilizers and has less impact on the environment, is being reconsidered even in rice harvesting. In the past, consumers wanted “taste”. Nowadays, “safety and security” is chosen, followed by “health”, and thirdly “taste”. If we pursue only taste, there will be times when “safety and security” and “health” aspects are neglected. In such a situation, farming methods that value “safety and security” and “health” and are environmentally friendly are attracting attention. Duck farming is an agriculture that holds this potential. Duck farming is completed by harvesting organic rice and using ducks for meat. When weeds grow, the ducks will eat them. However, the growth of weeds is not uniform. When there are few weeds, fewer ducks are put into the rice field. On the other hand, in fields where the rice is in danger of being overtaken by weeds, larger ducks are added or their numbers are increased to adjust the situation.
The biggest barrier to organic rice is weeding. If this work could be reduced, organic rice farming would spread rapidly. It is true that duck farming is environmentally friendly and, if done properly, can be profitable. However, there are difficulties in mass-producing organic rice. Some people have appeared in Akita Prefecture trying to overcome this barrier. It’s not with ducks, but duck robots. An attempt to grow organic rice using a self-propelled robot that suppresses weeds has begun in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture. A local agricultural production corporation is cultivating organic rice using a self-propelled robot that suppresses weeds. The robot is the “Duck Robot,” developed by a venture company spun out of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
Three duck robots were also in operation during the plowing period before planting, when water is poured into the soil and clumps of soil are broken down into small pieces. The solar-powered duck robot roams around rice paddies to reduce the burden and effort of farmers. Powered by solar power, it stirs the water with a screw and stirs up the mud. By muddying the water and blocking the sunlight that reaches the water, it suppresses the germination and growth of weeds that hinder rice growth. Two months have passed since the rice was planted. The results are so good that there are almost no weeds to be seen in the 40 hectares of rice paddies. This agricultural corporation grows Hitomebore organically without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers. In cooperation with the city, Iseki Agricultural Machinery, and others, they aim to establish “environmentally friendly smart agriculture.” If this kind of environmentally friendly agriculture becomes widespread, the future may be bright.
