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Sparse planting of which root distance is longer than usual planting (dense planting) is nationally watched with keen interest. Cost for seedling and material is remarkably reduced than usual planting and similar harvest volume is expected. Farm machinery manufacturers and the local research institutes are studying locally matched cultivation system with the local farmers. We will introduce the advantage and subject for it.Sparse planting mean planting density is lower, that is, although line distance is same as regular planting (30 cm), root distance is 22 cm, 28 cm, or 30 cm, meanwhile, root distance of the regular one is 30 cm. They are usually planted by rice transplanting machine. Before developing rice transplanting machine, booth root distance and line distance were 30 cm each. Although mature seedling was used for the past sparse planting, young seedling is currently used after developing the machinery. The method is as same as rice transplanting that farmers have no troublesome. The recent rice transplanting machine has the function of sparse planting, therefore, any farmer can conduct it.
The most advantage point for it is cost saving, for instance, the number of root to be needed is a 50% declined than usual dense planting if the root distance is 30 cm. Therefore, the preparation cost for seedling is also reduced and the cost for buying seedling is reduced as well. Additionally working time becomes shorter.
According to the agricultural research center, the taste of the rice by sparse planting is same as the dense planting and the total harvest volume per paddy field is not different. Another research center also announced that the rice appearance is better than the dense planting. Longer distance between root and root makes less stress condition, they said. One more important research result is that sparse planting is better for global warming, a research institute in Kyoto reported. The reason seems to be same due to longer root distance. Sparse planting will be expanding as one of measures for global warming which critically influences on agricultural industries all over the world.
Source: Farming Japan, Vol.42-5, 2008. pp. 8-9.
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