The Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) promotion of preventive biotechnology in agriculture over the past few years has not only helped the environment, but also improved harvest yield and quality, and enabled farmers to save on expenses, the agency said.
Overuse of fertilizer has led to excessive concentrations of phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium in the soil, made nutrients unable to be absorbed by crops and is the main source of nutrient pollution in waterways, the EPA said.
The agency began developing biocoal and biofertilizers in 2019 in collaboration with National Taiwan University, and found that they could help farmers reduce fertilizer use by 20 to 50 percent, as well as decrease nutrient pollution, Department of Water Quality Protection Director Yen Hsu-ming (顏旭明) said.
Photo: CNA
The EPA has chosen areas around the Fei Tsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) and Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) to promote the use of biofertilizers, Yen said.
Research has shown that photosynthetic bacteria can aid crop growth, and researchers have been teaching farmers how to harvest or cultivate their own bacteria, said Kuo Yang-cheng (郭楊正), a researcher at the Food Industry Research and Development Institute’s Bioresource Conservation and Research Center.
The use of biofertilizer has cut down on 20 to 70 percent of phosphorous loss, boosted field production by 7 to 24 percent and reduced fertilizer costs for farmers by 15 to 41 percent, Yang added.
Tan Ming-ta (覃明達), owner of a farm in Taoyuan’s Fusing Township (復興), said that he was very cautious at first, only using one-fifth of his land to trial biofertilizers.
However, he said he was pleasantly surprised to find that the section of his peach orchard where biofertilizers had been used yielded 20 percent more fruit and the fruit was also larger.
This has led to his sales increasing 20 to 30 percent, Tan said, adding that he would use biofertilizers for all of his crops next season and would recommend the product to other peach farmers in the Lalashan (拉拉山) area.
In addition to promoting the use of preventive biotechnology, the EPA said it aims to set up more artificial wetlands, grassed waterways and green belts to mitigate nutrient pollution in water bodies.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as