South Chungcheong Province changes the paradigm of the rice industry with direct seeding technology < Society < Chungnam < Nationwide < Text of article

(Chungnam = International News) Reporter Eui-gyu Park = The South Chungcheong Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services is accelerating efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of the rice industry by expanding the area for direct seeding of rice to more than 10 times the current area by 2030.

Direct seeding of rice is a farming method that can reduce labor and management costs for rice farming by up to 85%, and is considered a solution to the chronic labor shortage caused by the decline in farm population and aging in agricultural fields.

On the 25th, the Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services held a ‘Rice Direct Sowing Exhibition’ in Hwaseong-ri, Seocheon-eup, Seocheon-gun, and plans to expand from 1,057ha in 2023 to 2,000ha this year and 13,000ha in 2030, or 10% of the total rice cultivation area in the province. He said.

In addition, in order to spread direct seeding technology, we plan to provide agricultural machinery and agricultural materials such as seeders, seed coating agents, and herbicides, and support new technology distribution projects such as laser bird movement guidance systems and boom sprayers.

Direct seeding of rice is a farming method in which rice seeds are sown directly in the paddy field without installing seedbeds or mechanical transplanting. Depending on the availability of fresh water and the sowing method, it is divided into △Dry-paddy direct sowing, △Non-paddy direct sowing, and △Drone direct sowing.

Dry rice direct sowing is a method of sowing rice seeds directly in dry paddy fields, and is effective in dispersing agricultural work in spring by sowing rice seeds in April to May.

Non-paddy direct seeding is a method of sowing in wet rice fields from late May to early June, which has high technical stability during direct seeding cultivation, while drone direct seeding is a method of sowing rice seeds with a drone in wet rice fields during the same period.

Direct seeding requires less labor time than the existing mechanical transplanting method, which requires 1.33 hours for 10a cultivation, while direct seeding with dry and non-paddy fields takes 0.23 hours and direct seeding with drones takes 0.8 hours.

In terms of management costs, based on 10a, machine transplantation costs 144,000 won, while direct seeding with dry rice costs 78,000 won, non-paddy direct seeding costs 87,000 won, and drone direct seeding costs 119,000 won.

Among these, direct seeding by drone, which is the most efficient, is expected to reduce labor by up to 85% and management costs by up to 83%, thereby improving farm income through reduction of labor and management costs.

About 300 people attended the banquet held at the Seocheon Direct Plant Complex on this day, including Governor Tae-heum Kim, Gwang-seop Jeong, Chairman of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Oceans Committee of the Provincial Council, Dong-hyuk Jang, National Assembly member, Ki-woong Kim, Mayor of Seocheon-gun, Gyeong-jae Kim, Chairman of Seocheon-gun, and members of the Korea Rice Farmers’ Association, Korea Field Management Association, and the Rice Farming Research Association.

Attendees watched a demonstration on dry paddy, non-paddy, and drone direct seeding technology and shared the results of direct seeding of rice, and also had time to look at the latest technology through an exhibition of smart agricultural machinery and agricultural materials.

At this event, Governor Kim said, “The production value of rice farming in South Chungcheong Province is 1.9 trillion won, accounting for 50% of the total agricultural production value, so securing competitiveness is essential.” He added, “We can further increase competitiveness by reducing labor and management costs by more than 80% of the rice production structure.” “As direct seeding is the only technology available, the province plans to invest a budget of 20 billion won by 2025 (by 2030) to distribute direct seeding cultivation technology to 40 million pyeong of rice paddies, which is 10% of the total cultivation area in South Chungcheong Province,” he said.

Governor Kim continued by saying, “It is not an easy task, as ‘producing a single grain of rice requires enormous effort,’ but we will achieve structural reform in agriculture and rural areas,” adding, “The province will change the paradigm of the rice industry with direct seeding technology.” did.