Development of an agricultural management support system based on field records and mapping: Personal computer software for large-scale farm management body of paddy fields

Summary The role of large-scale farm management body as supporters of regional agriculture has become important as proliferation of paddy fields and contract farming (partial farm work contract) area increase due to elderly farmers and decreasing number of successors. The scale expansion of these establishments is given by the dispersion and augmentation of the number of fields ; which has originated problems such as more complexity in farming operations and labour management as well as misrecognition of operated fields. Because of this, there is an increasing demand regarding a computer system that can be used to solve these concerns by increasing the efficiency of farming operations performed in dispersed fields, improve the management bf farmland under contract farming and confirm the location of contract farming fields. Responding to this demand and based on the results of a field management system that has been developed at Tottori University, a computer system was developed to better understand the characteristics and productivity of each field managed by large-scale farm management body and the performance state of daily farming operations, prepare a suitable plan of farming operations, carry out advanced management of each operation, and improve labour management. Additionally, the system adaptability was examined by its application on the field. This system has four different kinds of ledgers to handle data related to land, planting, cultivation management and contract farming operations. Data is inputted and linked to a blank map created by digitalization, and then displayed as information. This information can be efficiently used to support the farmer'decision-making on tasks such as the preparation of planting and farming operations plans. In short, this system allows for the preparation of cropping plans through simulation of crop fields unification and rotation, preparation of a suitable farming operations plan by analyzing factors of low production, disposition of temporary hired and farming operations management personnel adjusted to the performance state of agricultural activities, and substantial reduction of office work by automatically performing the calculations of contract farming trusting fee and land rent