Haenam-gun Promotes Job's Tears Cultivation on Reclaimed Land as Alternative Crop to Rice

Machine Transplanting Demonstration Held, First Successful Cultivation of Job's Tears on Reclaimed Land Draws Attention

Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, is operating a pilot field for the cultivation of Job's tears (Yulmu) on reclaimed land used for dry field crops.

According to the county on the 20th, they decided to operate a 3-hectare pilot field for Yulmu cultivation in the Masan-myeon reclaimed area, and held the 2023 Reclaimed Land Yulmu Seedling Machine Transplanting Demonstration on the 15th.

On the 15th, a demonstration event for machine transplanting of job's tears seedlings in reclaimed land was held. [Photo by Haenam-gun]

This pilot field is operated to establish and disseminate cultivation techniques to farmers through collaboration between Kwon Gil-hwan, CEO of Sanmak Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, who succeeded in cultivating Yulmu on reclaimed land for the first time nationwide in 2021, and the county Agricultural Technology Center.

CEO Kwon Gil-hwan succeeded in cultivating Yulmu on reclaimed land, where there are difficulties in growing crops other than rice due to flooding and salt damage, by lowering salinity through water flushing 3 to 4 times a week and various other attempts.

Since last year, by raising Yulmu seedlings like rice and transplanting them with a transplanter, they confirmed that root establishment was good and growth was fast, increasing the yield to about 80% of that of dry field cultivation. Sanmak Agricultural Cooperative Corporation plans to expand Yulmu cultivation to 16 hectares this year.

At the demonstration event, machine transplanting of Yulmu seedlings was shown, followed by case presentations on cultivation techniques for reclaimed land, attracting great interest from farmers.

Yulmu is gaining attention as a health food due to its excellent anticancer effects, vision protection, blood sugar reduction, anti-aging, and diet benefits. Its market prospects are bright, and through this reclaimed land cultivation, its potential as an alternative crop to rice is also being recognized.

A county official stated, “Through the operation of the pilot field, we plan to establish standardized cultivation techniques for soil management and pest control so that anyone can easily cultivate Yulmu on reclaimed land, and take the lead in technology dissemination. With the urgent need to expand the cultivation of other crops for appropriate rice production, we will do our best to support the spread to farms based on the excellent model of leading management bodies.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.