Proceedings of the UNESCO - University of Tsukuba International Seminar on Traditional Technology for Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Asian-Pacific Region, held in Tsukuba Science City, Japan, 11-14 December, 1995.
Editors: Kozo Ishizuka, D. Sc. , Shigeru Hisajima, D. Sc. , Darryl R.J. Macer, Ph.D.
His proposals are supported by peoples who wish to consume "safe foods" as well as peoples desiring sustainable farming with biodiversity. However, these may not become major part of rice cultivation in a short period because of the rapid population growth and slow yield increment from the worldwide viewpoint. I believe that the minimum requirement should be provided by the cropping procedures currently adopted, i.e. ample dose of chemical fertilizer and pesticides supported by fossil energy. How to get higher yield is the major task for agronomists. For example, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRl) is currently developing ideal rice cultivars with super-high yield for the 21st century. If we have a capacity to get "safe food" and maintain diverse flora and fauna, it is worthy to proceed to the stage of sustainable and alternative farming system. The background of my prospect stands on the principle that the human being is a part of nature.
I have attended the 200th Meeting of the Crop Science Society of Japan held in Tottori Prefecture last month. There were so many oral and poster presentations related something to sustainable crop cultivation. They are: non-and reduced-tillage system, direct sowing, organic cultivation, deep-irrigation method, weeding by duck or carp or other animals, recycled paper-mulching, legume living mulching, etc. My feeling is that at present, these are in the stage of "try and error". The important thing is that to have standards how much yield is possible to get in an ordinary-weather year with the use of some ways in sustainable farming systems.