BASF Japan launches xarvio^® HEALTHY FIELDS: Japan’s first outcome-based agricultural service

BASF Japan has launched xarvio^® HEALTHY FIELDS, a new outcomes-based service from xarvio Digital Farming Solutions that transforms existing agricultural practices. It will be Japan’s first outcome-based agricultural service and offered to farmers practicing water-saving dry direct-seeding cultivation of rice. Through xarvio HEALTHY FIELDS, BASF manages and guarantees weed control outcomes, a major challenge in this cultivation method.

Currently, transplanting cultivation, which involves planting seedlings in flooded rice fields, dominates Japanese rice production. However, aging farmer populations, and labor shortages have led to farmland consolidation, accelerating the need for greater cultivation efficiency and productivity. Under this situation, dry direct-seeding cultivation has gained attention as a labor and cost-saving alternative.

In water-saving dry direct-seeding cultivation, seeds are sown directly into fields without flooding. After germination, the fields are not flooded, and water is added only as needed. This method eliminates traditional labor-intensive processes such as land leveling, ^*1 nursery preparation, puddling, ^*2 transplanting (rice planting), and water depth management. However, the absence of flooding allows weeds to grow more easily, making weed control a primary challenge.

In 2024, BASF collaborated with farmers to conduct field trials using the water-saving dry direct-seeding cultivation method. By utilizing the weed management program of xarvio FIELD MANAGER, an AI-based digital crop optimization platform, the trials successfully suppressed weeds and achieved quality and yields comparable to transplanting cultivation. Furthermore, the streamlined process reduced labor hours by approximately 70 percent^*3 and the absence of flooded fields reduced methane gas emissions from rice paddies by approximately 85 percent^*3.

As farmland consolidation progresses, expanding cultivated areas requires securing additional labor and investing in new equipment, posing a challenge for farmers to maintain profitability while increasing their farmlands. By entrusting weed control to BASF through this service, farmers can reduce their investment burden.

Shinsuke Noda, Director BASF Agricultural Solutions Japan, says: ″xarvio HEALTHY FIELDS was launched in Germany in 2019 and France in 2020, and this year, BASF is proud to launch this innovative service solution in Japan. As a global leader in agriculture, we leverage our advanced portfolio of xarvio Digital Farming Solutions and crop protection to now offer rice famers practicing the dry direct-seeded approach a unique weed management solution that guarantees outcomes, reducing workload and operating costs while enhancing profitability. We will continue to deepen our understanding of farmers’ challenges and collaborate with stakeholders to develop solutions as we support Japan’s goal of achieving sustainable agriculture.″

Service Area

In 2025, the service is only available in Honshu (excluding Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa).

Service Details

■ BASF takes on weed management for rice farmers practicing water-saving dry direct-seeding cultivation and guarantees outcomes.

■ The service will be provided at price fixed at start of the season. ^*4

■ The service includes the weed management program in xarvio^® FIELD MANAGER, herbicides, herbicide application, and the coordination of these works.

■ The guarantee period is set in three patterns: until the tillering stage (BBCH22^*5), the panicle initiation stage (BBCH32), or the milk stage (BBCH75).

■ After the guarantee period, BASF will evaluate the weed occurrence within specific field areas and classify them into Class 1, 2, or 3 based on the results. For fields classified as Class 2 or 3, up to a full refund will be provided.

BASF will serve farmers directly with xarvio HEALTHY FIELDS and has set up a service enquiry contacts for interested farmers.

*1 The process of evening out the field’s surface before adding water

*2 The process of crushing and leveling the soil after flooding the field

*3 Estimated values

*4 Price may change due to inevitable reasons such as re-seeding.

*5 BBCH scale codes represent crop growth stages (00–99). xarvio^® FIELD MANAGER uses AI to predict these stages in real time based on factors such as region, crop variety, and weather.