Launch of demonstration test of method for simplified analysis of tea plantation soil: Chubu Electric Power working with Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and producers to improve tea leaf quality and fertilizer dispersion efficiency

Today, Chubu Electric Power is pleased to announce that we will launch a demonstration test with the cooperation of Enshu-Yumesaki Japan Agricultural Cooperative (Kikugawa city, Shizuoka prefecture; Cooperative President: Tomoji Kawaharazaki; “JA Enshu-Yumesaki”), Kakegawa-shi Japan Agricultural Cooperative (Kakegawa city, Shizuoka prefecture; Cooperative President: Daigo Matsunaga; “JA Kakegawa-shi”), and tea producers affiliated with both cooperatives toward achieving the goal of practical application of a simplified method for analyzing fertilizer components in soil at producers’ tea plantations in Kikugawa, Kakegawa and Omaezaki cities.

Maintaining the balance and amount of fertilizer components appropriate for a crop is vital for the production of high-quality tea leaves, and quantitative soil analysis is necessary for appropriate fertilizer dispersion.

Nevertheless, soil analysis requires time and money, so many producers apply fertilizer based upon their own experience. The development of a soil analysis method has been desired that will be both quick and inexpensive.

Chubu Electric Power has been conducting agriculture research for the purpose of revitalizing regional agriculture. Since FY2020, the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization has provided us with research specimens that we have been using in our research with the goal of simplifying analysis of fertilizer components contained in soil at test tea plantations.

Our research has optimized soil particle size, the pH level of extracted liquid, and concentration of fertilizer components for simplified analysis of soil collected from test tea plantations. We have constructed a quick and low-cost analysis method with precision equivalent to conventional analysis while using a low-cost analyzer.

Beginning today, we will be collecting soil with different properties and from cultivation management conditions at seven producers’ tea plantations within the JA Enshu-Yumesaki and JA Kakegawa-shi service areas. We will evaluate method precision as well as the time and cost involved in analysis to commercialize this method with the goal of enhancing tea leaf quality and fertilizer dispersion efficiency in tea production.

Chubu Electric Power will continue to actively promote regional agriculture revitalization so that we may contribute to the sustainable development of our communities.