Researchers have developed a solution using a species of straw-eating bacteria to help farmers clear their fields after harvest without burning them, which causes air pollution.
The solution was developed by researchers at the Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, it said yesterday.
The nation’s rice fields span about 260,000 hectares and produce nearly 1.41 million tonnes of straw after harvests every year, the station added.
Farmers usually burn the straw in open spaces, causing air pollution that endangers human health and creates traffic hazards, said the station, which is affiliated with the Council of Agriculture.
Burning things in open spaces is punishable by a fine of between NT$1,200 and NT$100,000 under the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法). Before a new amendment was promulgated last month, the minimum fine was NT$5,000, a heavy burden for farmers caught burning straw.
“Fining farmers cannot solve the problem,” said station associate researcher Chu Sheng-chi (朱盛祺), who spent five years testing more than 200 bacterial strains before selecting a species of the genus Bacillus to produce a liquid agent that can consume high-fiber straw in seven days.
Farmers could introduce the solution in the mouth of their irrigation systems, which would spread it to a 1 fen (分, 970m2) field in five to 10 minutes, he said.
By comparison, traditional methods would require 40 minutes to cover the same area and up to two weeks to fully decompose the straw, he added.
Farmers could also improve the fertilization of the soil by applying the solution, allowing them to produce higher-quality rice, Chu said.
After obtaining the council’s approval, the station would transfer the technique to private companies interested in it, he said, estimating that the solution would be sold at between NT$200 and NT$300 per 20kg, similar to other decomposing fertilizers.
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