Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 18.3
Removal of weeds and the mud layer deposited by the tsunami supported by 120 volun-
teers; 30th July 2011. Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai City (Source Photo: Shusei Yamada)
Typhoons fl ooded the rice fi elds at the end of September. Thus drainage was
greatly delayed by damage to the drainage channels and drainage pumps. However,
it was later possible to sow rape plants. These showed good growth in paddy fi elds,
unaffected by the salt levels (Fig.
18.4
).
An unforeseen event occurred when a trial fi eld was badly damaged by the
presence of migratory wild swans, which completely devoured the leaves.
Although Brassicaceae plants are rarely damaged by birds, it is thought that the
birds fed on the plants due to the unavailability of unharvested grains and other
type of food.
The rapeseed restoration project has been implemented with the support of a
large number of cooperating institutions, authorities and companies (Table
18.3
).
Produced rapeseed was sold as food, edible oil and biodiesel fuel (BDF). Support
was also obtained from group members who devised specifi c methods for the sale
of rapeseed oil and BDF, and from students and companies that designed events for
the cultivation of rapeseed plants. This project began from the desire to assist farm-
ers, but exceeded the framework of the coordination between the institutions and
farmers to involve large numbers of people and reveal an extensive social
component.
By the winter of 2012 a total of 2.67 ha of land had been cultivated with a yield
of 2-4 t per ha. A total of roughly 4.5 t of rapeseed was harvested, and 63 l of edible
oil was bottled. With the exception of seed for sowing, oil was pressed from the
remaining seed to produce approximately 4 t of BDF.
The hope for restoration of damaged fi elds was symbolized by the blooming of
the rapeseed plants beside the Iwanuma expressway interchange. The
Kizakinonatane
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