SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY FOR WEEDING WORK AND LEVEE SLOPE’S FORM REQUIRED FOR MOWING MACHINES ON PADDY FIELDS IN STEEP SLOPING AREAS IN JAPAN

Abstract

In Japan, land readjustment projects have standardized and expanded the design and size of
rice paddy fields. These projects have simultaneously promoted the conversion of levee slopes into stable
inclines by expanding the difference in levels between paddy fields, which has expanded levee slopes, i.e. the
weeding area. Continuous weeding work is required to prevent erosion and the collapse of steep levee slopes,
and serious accidents sometimes occur in the weeding work using brush cutters on such slopes. Brush cutters
have been popular for weeding work, but mowing machines are increasingly popular for reasons of safety
and work efficiency. However, the levee form was designed based on the assumption of using brush cutters,
which recommends small horizontal standing places both at the middle and the bottom of the slope.
Therefore, it is necessary to examine whether the form of the levee slope is suitable for mowing machines.
We conducted weeding work experiments in two types of levee slopes (with and without standing places)
using two types of weeding equipment (mowing machines and brush cutters), and the flora of the levee
slopes and the working stress on operators were investigated. Our conclusions are that (1) mowing machines
are safer and more efficient than brush cutters and (2) the conventional levee form with standing places will
also be effective for mowing machines.