Between March and September 2023, two of our Group companies—JFE Shoji Steel Construction Materials Corporation and Tohsen Corporation—conducted a test of Concrete Canvas (CC) in the Ogata land improvement district in Ogata-mura, Minami-Akita-gun, Akita Prefecture. CC is considered an effective weed control measure.

CC is a sheet containing cement, which hardens into concrete when water is sprayed on it. Currently, CCT1 (4.5 mm thick), CCT2 (7.00 mm thick), and made-to-order CCT3 (10.00 mm thick) are available. The concrete in CCT1 hardens when about eight liters of water per square meter is sprayed on it. The hardened sheet stops the spread of weeds in rice paddies and near farm roads.

Furthermore, since each roll of CCT1 only weighs about eighty kilos, it can be installed without heavy machinery. The soft fabric fits into complex shapes and can be cut with a utility knife. Another distinctive feature is the minimal alkali leaching, which translates into low environmental impact. Due to these characteristics, CC is used for weed control as well as a wide range of other applications, such as slope/erosion protection, animal damage control, waterway repair, and disaster recovery.

JFE Shoji Steel Construction Materials and Tohsen’s Akita Office laid around 60 square meters of CC (two 30-square-meter sections) on both sides of a farm road as a test in the Ogata land improvement district this past March. Observing the weed control situation in September, the areas where no CC was installed were covered with weeds, but the areas covered with CC were completely weed-free, thus confirming its effectiveness as a weed control measure.

Keeping up with frequent weeding operations due to the aging agricultural population, the lack of people to take over and cost is challenging. The companies aim to expand sales to help farmers struggling with these problems by installing CC.

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