IIJ Sponsored "Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021" Event Report | IIJ Engineers Blog

CONTENTS

Hello! This is yamazoe from the mvno business department.

This time, for a limited time, I will also serve as the "IoT Division"!

IIJ currently has a system called Select Job, which allows you to work concurrently in a department that interests you. I usually develop mobile services in the MVNO division, but I decided to use this system to concurrently serve as the "IoT division" for a limited time! I chose the IoT Division not only because I was interested in IoT technology, but also because I wanted to know more about the field and develop services from the user's point of view.

And the mission of the IoT Division as soon as possible is to participate in the "Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021"! This time, I would like to report on a real event that I participated in as my first mission in the IoT Division!

IIJ's Initiatives in Smart Agriculture

Before going into the event report, I would like to briefly introduce IIJ's commitment to agriculture. I have introduced it several times in this blog, so if you already know about it, please skip here and see the ↓ event report ↓.

At IIJ, a paddy field water management ICT utilization consortium consisting of multiple companies, including IIJ, received government support and built a "LoRaWAN paddy field management system" to reduce the cost of water management by about half. I was doing the biggest demonstration experiment in Japan!

The paddy field sensor has a very simple structure and can be easily installed without using any tools! In addition, it works for one season with two AA batteries. As a result of the demonstration experiment, we succeeded in reducing the time for water management by 70 to 80% by combining it with the automatic water supply valve of Enowa, which participated in this project together with IIJ!

We started selling a system called “IIJ Smart Agriculture MITSUHA” in December 2019 after a demonstration experiment in Shizuoka.

If it conforms to LoRaWAN, one base station can receive data from various sensors. With LoRaWAN, the amount of data that can be sent is small, but instead, it can be sent over 1 km, or up to 5 km depending on the conditions. Of course, it can be operated with a household power supply, but it can also be operated using a solar panel and battery even in places where power is not available outdoors.

The information acquired by the sensor can be monitored perfectly with a smartphone application.

This is an introduction to the introduction case.

Case study of rice field sensor "MITSUHA". Starfarm Co., Ltd. (Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture)

Starfarm is using smart farming very effectively. With a sense of mission to protect an enclave of farmland about 30 minutes away from a warehouse in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, which had not been well managed due to a shortage of workers, IIJ was unable to easily increase the number of workers and was struggling with management. The introduction of smart agriculture MITSUHA was considered. Until now, work that had to be done every day, and at fixed times in the mornings and evenings on holidays, but after the introduction of IIJ Smart Agriculture MITSUHA, there is no longer a need to go once every two to three days. I am glad that you are now able to rest properly on your days off.

What is the Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021?

Last December, we held a real event, "Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021" in Iwamizawa City, Hokkaido!

At the symposium co-sponsored by the Hokkaido Sorachi General Promotion Bureau and the Japan Agricultural Information Systems Association (JAISA), companies and organizations working on "smart agriculture" for paddy water management gathered together.

In the venue, there are introductions of cutting-edge services and case studies, panel discussions, etc., and you can touch actual IoT devices at the exhibition booth.

Main venue

Exhibition booth

In holding this symposium, we hoped that it would be a place to discuss issues from the perspective of farmers, rather than mere advertising as IIJ or discussions that are far from reality such as the so-called "future of smart agriculture." I was serious about my thoughts!

Atmosphere of the venue

The location is Iwamizawa, Hokkaido!

A lot of farmers came to the area where the first industry is very popular in Japan's leading production areas such as rice, wheat, and fruits!

Live streaming on YouTube will also be held on the day! The thoughts of IIJ and the Hokkaido Sorachi General Promotion Bureau should have reached those who could not attend due to the restrictions on the number of people due to corona measures and those who were hesitant to participate in the real event. I still have the archive!

Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021 hosted by IIJ ] Event Report | IIJ Engineers Blog

Sorachi Smart Agriculture Symposium 2021

This event will be streamed on YouTube using IIJ's streaming technology. What is Youtube delivered by authentic IIJ engineers? ? Stay tuned for more details in the next blog post!

The first half of the program was a keynote speech, where the issues in each region and the status of initiatives for smart agriculture were explained.

Mr. Hideharu Takashima of Takikawa City Agricultural Administration Division gave a lecture on the construction of a Takikawa version of the farm water management system. I heard that Takikawa City is working together with the entire region to save labor in the production of paddy rice, which is a key crop, not only with agricultural institutions but also with local technical high schools.

Mr. Takeshi Tatsumi, Agricultural Affairs Section, Economic Department, Bibai City, gave a lecture on Bibai City's smart agriculture verification project and future developments. In Bibai City, the decrease in the number of farm households due to the aging population is seen as a problem, and tomato farmers seem to be particularly conspicuous. For that reason, the ICT Agriculture Promotion Council was established, and it seems that labor saving and efficiency improvement of agricultural work are being considered and promoted in the region.

Mr. Masato Mandokoro / Mr. Keisuke Watanabe from Shintotsukawa Town Industry Promotion Division gave a lecture on smart agriculture aiming to produce high-quality and delicious rice. In Shintotsukawa Town, the aging of farmers is also an issue, and it seems that there is a shortage of labor. As a solution, the Shintotsukawa town smart agricultural technology development and demonstration project will be launched and implemented.

The second half of the program was a panel discussion.

The theme is "Smart agriculture promoted in the region - Considering labor saving of paddy water management in Sorachi".

～About labor saving of paddy field water management using smart agriculture～ Recently, when it comes to smart agriculture, "tractors", "paddy field management", and "drones" are attracting a lot of attention. The discussion focused on "paddy field water management". We had a discussion centered on the producers, "About the future of smart paddy water management in the Sorachi area."

In addition to the main venue, the panelists on the day used Zoom to refer not only to opinions within Hokkaido but also information from other regions. , Mr. Ikuma also participated.

First of all, we asked how the automatic water valve and paddy field sensor are used, how they use them, and how they feel about using them.

"The manual work from early in the morning to late at night is no longer available, and I can now secure more time." I feel less physically tired.”

We have heard many opinions that visualization of the water level has made work more efficient, even though there is a time limit.

In addition, we were able to hear real-life opinions about the issues that we tried using, such as "the automatic water valve malfunctioning due to dust clogging," which we would not have understood unless we actually installed it at the site. In addition, we received requests for improving usability, such as "It was difficult to operate, and it was difficult to get used to how to set up the paddy field sensor." However, in general, many farmers have seen the effects of introducing smart agriculture, and the introduction of smart agriculture has brought about effects such as cost awareness and reduction of unnecessary movement. In addition, by listening to the opinions of various regions using Zoom, the issue of how to utilize the water management system according to each region and farming style was highlighted. We were able to pick up a lot of hints that could lead to service improvements in the future, precisely because we were able to hear the voices of the field regarding durability, cost, operability, and so on.

Exhibition Booth

Internet Initiative Japan Inc.

IIJ mainly exhibited a demonstration kit consisting of a paddy field sensor developed by our company and an automatic water supply valve by Enowa.

Ewanowa Co., Ltd.

Laugh Nowa's automatic water valve! The exhibition focused on a demonstration kit that was set with a paddy field sensor developed by IIJ.

Nile Works Co., Ltd.

Nileworks Co., Ltd. exhibited a domestic drone for agriculture. I was deeply interested in its high technological capabilities and multi-functionality, such as fully automatic flight function, automatic drug spraying, and easy operation with a tablet.

Exhibition booth was a great success! A lot of people were interested! !

Our staff put a lot of effort into explaining the contents of the exhibition, listening to the voices of actual farmers, and having deeper discussions, which was what we were looking for in this symposium!

Voices from Participants

We distributed a questionnaire form to everyone at the venue in advance, so that we could hear the opinions, experiences, and impressions of participants who did not turn the microphone on the day. I was. Here are some of the voices of the participants.

[Overall]

[Regarding the exhibition booth]

Of course, regarding the event, we would like to receive valuable feedback such as requests for improvement such as "we should do more like this" and expectations for the next event.

Afterword

"First, know the site (user)!" This is what I pay most attention to when developing a service. The IoT Division's first mission this time was to participate in a symposium held by IIJ. It was a very valuable experience as I felt like I was surrounded by heat that made me forget the cold. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Hokkaido Sorachi General Promotion Bureau and the Japan Agricultural Information Systems Association (JAISA) for giving us the opportunity to hold this event.

Agriculture in Japan faces challenges such as the aging of farmers and labor shortages. IIJ's approach to smart agriculture is not about the future of smart agriculture. I'm happy!