Changes in Cultivation of Wheat and Barley of Off-season Cropping in Paddy Field of Western Japan and Use of Domestic Wheat and Barley as Teaching Materials

摘要

Changes in wheat and barley cultivation of off-season cropping in western Japan were analyzed, and the factors of decline of wheat and barley cultivation in Yamaguchi Prefecture were reviewed. In Japan, the wheat and barley currently grown in off-season cropping on paddy fields changed in the range of 500,000ha to 850,000ha from the 1890s till 1950. However, wheat and barley low prices and early transplanting of paddy rice, this number gradually decreased after 1950. In 1999, the cultivation ratio ofwheat and barley in off-season cropping on paddy fields fell to about 10% or less in western Japan except for Saga Prefecture (56.1%) and Fukuoka Prefecture (36.3%). Consequently, the self-sufficiency rate of wheat and two-rowed barley in the country fell further to 9 % and 5 % in 1998, respectively, and now the self-sufficiency rate is at a remarkably low tendency compared to major advanced nations. In order to raise the self-sufficiency rate of wheat and barley, it is important for schoolchildren andjunior high school students to understand the necessity of domestic wheat and barley cultivation. For each language, science (2nd division), social studies (geography), technology and homemaking course, art in junior high schools, concrete examples wereproposed on use of domestic wheat and barley as teaching materials.