Utilizing soil microbial diversity and activity value analysis as an indicator of "rice in rice fields rich in life"

Hokkaido Aleph Co., Ltd. Fuyumizutanbo Project Yoshinori Hashibe

At the time of interview 2012

Since opening the first hamburger restaurant “Bikkuri Donkey” in Sapporo in 1989, Aleph Co., Ltd. has increased the number of restaurants to more than 1 and is rapidly increasing the name recognition of “Bikkuri Donkey”.Even under rapid growth, we have set up the philosophy of "human beings are also healthy", and have started an environment-friendly agriculture experimental farm in Hokkaido for more than 300 years, which does not burden the environment.Recently, soil microbial diversity and activity value analysis has been used as an index to measure the progress of the project, and has been effective.
We asked Mr. Yoshinori Hashibe, who has been in charge of the Fuyumizu-Tambo Project since 2005, about his efforts.

Q. Please give us an overview of your company's environmental conservation agriculture initiatives.

At the idea of the founder, more than 20 years ago, we started an experimental farm in Hokkaido.In addition, for the past 15 years, we have been promoting “pesticide-saving rice,” which limits the use of pesticides to herbicides only once.
Since 2006, all Bikkuri Donkey stores have been using pesticide-saving rice grown by contracted producers in Miyagi, Yamagata, Iwate, and Akita prefectures, but it took 10 years to introduce rice to all stores.Beef and pork are grown under contract, and vegetables are gradually being promoted in the same way as rice.

A plate that analyzed the soil of Mr. Aleph's experimental field.Thanks to our efforts, the value is as high as 1,591,995.

Q. How did Mr. Hashibe get involved?

Hamburger restaurant "Bikkuri Donkey" (Morioka Inter Store)

Producers of “Rice Fields Rich in Life” (Miyagi Prefecture)

I graduated from a university with a degree in economics and had almost no experience in agriculture, but in the fall of 2005 I was appointed as a member of an in-house project, and was entrusted with the experimental field of "fuyumizu-tanbo."
This project is modeled on the Kabu Kurinuma and surrounding paddy fields in Miyagi Prefecture, which were registered under the Ramsar Convention in the fall of 2005.
In 10, we harvested from 2005 in a 2006a paddy field, but the first year of cultivation was a series of trial and error, and the yield was not good, and the taste was not good. In the third year, a large amount of compost was applied, and the yield was more than 1 kg for 3a, which was above average, but the taste was not so good.However, I realized that the soil was made more than before.
In 2011, the yield was more than XNUMX bales, the number of sludge worms increased, and the taste improved.
After that, in order to extend what we had tested in the experimental field, we started demonstrating Hokkaido-type winter-flooded rice paddies with four cooperating farmers engaged in organic farming in Hokkaido (expanded to six in 2011). .
Since 2009, we have started the initiative of "Rice in the rice fields with abundant living things" that does not use pesticides at all.Producers themselves research the organisms in the rice fields and create biotopes.In 2011, 100 hectares of such "rice paddies full of living creatures" nationwide accounted for about 1% of the rice used by Bikkuri Donkey.

Q. How is soil microbial diversity/activity value analysis utilized?

I would like to use it as one of the indicators for expressing the value of "rice from rice fields rich in living things."In fact, when we examined the values of the experimental farms we started and the fields of cooperating farmers, the experimental farm was the only one with more than 120 million, and the soil microbial diversity and activity value was the highest.
Even in the fields of cooperating farmers, the value is high in the fields where organic farming is continuously practiced, and it is clearly lower when pesticides are used.

Rice planting experience

Rice harvesting experience

Q. Please tell us about the future utilization of soil microbial diversity and activity value analysis.

In the future, we would like to utilize soil microbial diversity and activity value analysis in fields and pastures other than rice fields.If the same trend as in rice fields applies to upland soil, it will be possible to appeal to producers about the direction in which they should aim for agriculture that does not place a burden on the environment.In addition, we are promoting the composting of food waste from Bikkuri Donkey, so we hope that it will become an indicator of good compost production.