• Japan, Mr. Hideo Kubotera

1. 6th Asian Soil Partnership MEETING | 4-5 February 2021
Item 1
GSP developments of
regional interest
Ms. Lucrezia Caon
NENA Soil Partnership coordinator
Item 2
Japan | National updates
By Hideo Kubotera
NARO (National Agriculture and Food
Research Organization)
National focal point for Japan

2. 6th Asian Soil Partnership MEETING | 4-5 February 2021
Main activities implemented in the country
under Pillar 4
Consortiums for the collection of
existing soil data has started in
Japan.

3. Research institutes for study on local agriculture in Japan
Japan is composed of 47 prefectures.
All prefectures have its own
agricultural research institutes.
They conduct agricultural research,
including soil survey, in corporation
with Japanese government,
universities, and NARO (National
Agriculture and Food Research
Organization).
Institute of Shiga
Prefecture

4. Saga Prefecture Agricultural Research
Center
 Chemical fertilizer only
 Rice straw (small amount)
 Wheat straw
 Rice straw (large amount)
 Rice straw compost
Treatment in this paddy field (Since 1976) ：
4
Long-term field experiment
Soil monitoring survey in
farmers’ fields
A monitoring point in a citrus
orchard in Nagasaki Prefecture
Number of monitoring points in 2020 is around
3,500 across Japan. 1/4 of total is surveyed in
each year (4-year cycle). Soil properties, crop
yield and management are surveyed.
71 fields, 316 plots (total) in prefectural institutes
across Japan in 2020. Soil properties and crop yield is
investigated every year.
Collection of soil data by prefectural institutes

5. Soil data collection in Japan: History and current status
Survey for soil productivity
conservation（1959～1978）
Fundamental survey for soil
environment（1979～1998）
Monitoring of soil functions
（1999～）
Survey for soil carbon stock
（2008～）
Digital soil
map (2017
release on
the web)
Soil monitoring in
farmers’ fields
Enormous soil data in Japan has been
collected for many years, but they were not
fully aggregated or comprehensively analyzed.
Survey projects have been
carried out by 47 prefectures’
institutes, with budget from
Japanese government
5
・Soil map
・Fundamental
characteristics
・Soil classification
Long-term field
experiments
Paper-base
reports
Results of
many other
researches

6.  Big data of soils
 Recognition of the importance of soils
 Request from farmers and government
 Advance of infrastructure for ICT
Soil Improvement Consortium
March 2019, by MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
→ for assistance and consulting to farmers
Soil ICT Development Consortium
October 2020, by NARO (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization)
→ for the efficient use of soil data by researchers
6
Scheme for soil data collection and utilization
Background
Two consortiums were
established recently

7. １．Collection of soil data from all-Japan
1. Soil monitoring in farmers’ fields
2. Long-term field experiments
3. Other data on soil survey
4. Various unpublished data
Members: 36 institutes from
34 prefectures（Feb. 2021）
2． Utilization of the accumulated soil information
7
Plans of activity of the Soil ICT Development Consortium
Collection
Compilation
Making database
Share
Open to public
For example,
Developing of app.
for soil survey
Minimize
of nitrate
leaching
Combination
with nitrate
dynamics model
Precise
irrigation
control
Combination
with mesh
climatic data
Precise application
of fertilizer by
unmanned machines
Using IoT
technology

8. 6th Asian Soil Partnership MEETING | 4-5 February 2021
Thanks for
your attention