An analysis on preventive measures of red soil loss in pineapple production: A case of Higashi Village, Kunigami County, Okinawa Prefecture
2009
Nakamura, T., Kyoei Univ., Kasukabe, Saitama (Japan) | Kikuchi, K. | Yano, Y. | Maruyama, A.
This paper analyzes measures to prevent red soil from being washed away in growing pineapples. As a result, the following points were clarified. First, red soils were washed away in about 30% of pineapple fields in Higashi Village, suggesting preventive measures were the most important during the planting season. The main preventive measures were relatively simple ones such as tillage or deep plowing. Meanwhile, only a small number of farmers adopted the measures encouraged by the government, such as Green Belt, submerged sand soils, grass mulch and biodegradable mulch. While biodegradable mulch was the measure which had the most physical and financial burden, it was the most effective. After a probit analysis of different measures taken and characteristics of farming households, several conclusions were made. While tillage was conducted by the elderly farmers, many of their red soils were lost, and it was not an effective measure in reality. Meanwhile, the farmers which scattered old and cut stubs on the soils or turned over ground stubs into the soils were more successful. Especially, the latter was more successful than the fanner. The measure of ground stubs was conducted by relatively young farmers who, however, do not have successors. Grass mulch, which was conducted by full-time farmers, also prevented red soil loss. Finally, Green Belt was conducted by young farmers who have successors. Thus, the above measures have their own distinguishing features in accordance with sex, age and other factors.
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