2020.08.25
Launch of BLOF®ware.Doctor, a Cloud-Based Farming Support Service
The latest NTT COMWARE agri-tech solution uses ICT to streamline and simplify organic cultivation theory, enabling high yield and nutritional value
NTT COMWARE CORPORATION (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Satoshi Kurishima; hereinafter "NTT COMWARE") will jointly provide BLOFⓇware.Doctor, a cloud-based farming support service, with Japan Bio Farm Co. Ltd. (Head office: Ina-shi, Nagano; CEO: Masaaki Koiwai; hereinafter "Japan Bio Farm") on August 25. This service was developed by both companies and will be offered to agricultural cooperatives, agricultural corporations and individual farmers in Japan. It is a cloud-based service that facilitates organic cultivation based on the biological farming (BLOF) theory*, which produces agricultural crops with high quality, nutritional value and yield, scientifically and logically with a focus on soil cultivation.
Consumer demand for organic crops has been growing due to the rapid increase of people with health-conscious lifestyles in recent years and from the perspective of environmental protection. However, organic cultivation is complex and stability of quality and yield is difficult to ensure. Organic cultivation based on BLOF theory attracts attention because it solves these issues and enables high quality and yield. However, advanced expertise and skills are required. In August 2019, NTT COMWARE began demonstration tests on organic cultivation based on the BLOF theory by using the prototype of BLOFware.Doctor, in cooperation with Japan Bio Farm and farmers. As a result, yield per area increased 1.3 times on average, even though the producers had limited experience with farming. In addition, profit almost tripled due to the improved quality of products. This allowed NTT COMWARE to confirm that BLOFware.Doctor contributes to the working processes of organic cultivation based on BLOF theory, allowing the company to launch this service.In BLOFware.Doctor, Japan Bio Farm's unique computational logic for the mineral balance and pH of each crop is embedded into the system using the ICT technologies of NTT COMWARE, providing functions that support farming processes for each type of crop (wet-field rice, vegetables, fruits and others), including fertilization design, field management, fertilizer management, and farm work record, securely on the cloud. In addition, advice is given via BLOFware.Doctor from instructors, who are experts in BLOF theory, based on the field conditions and growing conditions of crops. The Growing Map is also provided via BLOFware.Doctor, which enables the user to check key points and guidance on organic cultivation based on BLOF theory. This makes it possible to learn the know-how for applying BLOF theory anytime and anywhere, in accordance with the skills of each producer, enabling more producers to achieve organic cultivation with high yield and quality. The service will be available for wet-field rice on August 25, and for overall vegetables and fruit in fiscal 2021.
A free trial campaign for BLOFware.Doctor will run from August 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020, intended for agricultural cooperatives, agricultural corporations and individual farmers in Japan. An outline of BLOFware.Doctor and the details about the free trial campaign are described in the exhibit below.
Moving forward, NTT COMWARE and Japan Bio Farm will provide comprehensive support services for farming, from production to sales, through the BLOFware series, including BLOFware.Doctor. For the BLOFware series, both companies will offer advanced advice from instructors and automate access to the advice by applying the latest know-how on BLOF theory and analyzing data.
NTT COMWARE offers Smart Agri in the lineup of agri-tech solutions, including BLOFware.Doctor. By providing a variety of products and solutions, the company will improve the competitiveness of Japan's agriculture and support sustainable agricultural production.
*BLOF theory: Organic cultivation technology that enables the stable production of crops with high quality, nutritional value and yield by conducting scientific farming in three fields: amino acids, minerals and soil.
Exhibit
1.Descriptions
Farming based on BLOF theory was difficult to practice partly because of the fertilization design that requires complicated calculations and adjustments. BLOFware.Doctor is a service that facilitates this farming using a computer or a tablet terminal. In addition, this service enables farmers already practicing BLOF theory to advance because BLOFware.Doctor offers fertilization design based on the optimal balance of soil components for each cultivated crop, with new know-how on BLOF theory that had yet to be unveiled. This service also enables visualization of the work, review of work processes, and other features.
Farming processes supported by BLOFware.Doctor
Main service menu
| Number | Service menu | Outline |
| 1 | Fertilization design |
The optimal balance of soil components for each cultivated crop is calculated automatically, and a graph showing the results is indicated Optimal fertilization can be designed by checking graphs showing the values for the current soil components and the simulated values after fertilization |
| 2 | Field management |
Registering and managing information about fields for which fertilization will be designed (including locations, other basic information and results of soil analysis) |
| 3 | Fertilizer management |
Indicating a list of information about fertilizers used by the farmer Registering and managing original fertilizers formulated by the farmer and local fertilizers |
| 4 | Farm work record |
Registering and managing completed farm work on a field-by-field basis |
| 5 | Instructor advice |
Receiving advice from an instructor as an expert in BLOF theory in accordance with field conditions and growing conditions of crops |
| 6 | Growing map |
Displaying key points and guidance on organic cultivation based on BLOF theory in each growth process of the crop |
Fertilization design screen (For illustration purposes only)
2.Date of release
August 25, 2020
3.Applicable crops and fee
Wet-field rice (annual fee): 3,000 yen/10 acres (Tax not included)
*Vegetable edition and fruit edition are planned to be released in fiscal 2021.
Inquire for details.
4.Official website of BLOF®ware
https://blofware.info
5.Overview of the free trial campaign
Until December 31, 2020, there will be no usage fee for all users of BLOFware.Doctor for up to five months.
| Service | BLOFware.Doctor |
| Users | Agricultural cooperatives, agricultural corporations and individual farmers*1 all over Japan |
| Content of the campaign | Usage is free for up to five months.*2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Campaign period | August 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020*8 |
| Application period | August 25, 2020 to November 30, 2020 |
| How to apply | Go to the application page on the official website of BLOF®ware and complete the online application form . |
*1 "Individual farmers" refers to individuals engaged in farming as a business. The service is not available for individuals who farm for non-business purposes.
*2 Usage fee for the period until December 31, 2020 will be free regardless of the date when the service begins to be used.
*3 The service applies to wet-field rice only.
*4 Use of the instructor advice function and the Growing map function is partially restricted.
*5 Terminal, internet environment, and other equipment required to use the service shall be prepared by the users.
*6 A communication fee will be charged separately for use of this service.
*7 The service will become a fee-based service on January 1, 2021. To stop using the service, follow the cancellation procedures by November 30, 2020.
*8 Start using the service when the procedures for issuing your account are completed following the acceptance of your application.
*"BLOF" is a registered trademark of Japan Bio Farm Co., Ltd.
*Other company names, product names and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.
