The NPUST International Service Center for Irrigation R&D and Yeedon Enterprise Corp are jointly promoting the SPRI probiotic rice farming technique— a friendly farming approach which uses less water, less fertilizer, less pesticides, and produces less carbon emissions. They also are working to develop smart rice production, cultivate talent, and make improvements to the industry in Taiwan.
On June 10th (‘22) the two parties signed a strategic alliance agreement for industry-university cooperation in the Second Conference Room at the NPUST Administrative Building. As part of the agreement, focus will be given to the exchange of experience and technology, while working together to establish a new center for rice R&D for the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Science and Technology. Since 2017, the International Service Center for Irrigation R&D at NPUST has been successfully applying the SPRI probiotic rice farming method in Guanshan, Taitung. And by working with the Guanshan Farmer’s Association, they have expanded their operations to 100 hectares of farmland. These excellent results attracted attention from the industry, which is why Yeedon Enterprise (a leading brand in the domestic rice production) is now cooperating with the school. The cooperation between the two parties is expected to focus on advanced techniques and technologies, such as water-saving irrigation, biological fertilizers, and paddy field information collection and analysis. Through the development of smart rice cultivation technologies, they hope to enhance industrial competitiveness.
NPUST’s Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Shui-jen Chen, explained that the “in the 21st Century, climate change and sustainable development have become important global issues. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the International Service Center for Irrigation R&D and Yeedon Enterprise Corp, who is the producer of the famous “San-Hao Rice” rice brand. Together we will promote the SPRI probiotic-friendly rice production farming technique which takes into account the environment and food safety by using less water, less fertilizer, less pesticides, and producing less carbon emissions. SPRI probiotic-friendly rice farming will be used to promote the development of smart rice production in Taiwan and help further sustainable agriculture. President Tsai Ing-wen announced the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and these things are quite compatible with the government’s net-zero roadmap.”
Professor Yumin Wang of the International Irrigation R&D Service Center said: “We hope that by applying academic research results to real world rice paddies, nearly 170,000 hectares of paddy fields in Taiwan will be able to enjoy optimal rice production. After more than ten years of hard work, the university’s cross-disciplinary team has not only developed smart rice cultivation, but also set a new milestone for rice culture in Taiwan.”
Executive Director of Yeedon Enterprise, Kuo-Chou Chen, made some remarks, saying “we hope that with the experience of both parties and through technological exchange, Taiwan’s agriculture will become more competitive, and farmers will be able to benefit from higher incomes.”
The irrigation research center at NPUST has been carrying out field research in Taitung since 2016. And even when tested by severe typhoons, their techniques, which result in healthy roots and strong stocks, have proven reliable. While using 30% less water and 50% less fertilizers, their technique is able to produce a crop with 20% more yield. As a result, it has won strong support from the Guanshan Farmer’s Association in Taitung County, and seen vigorous promotion the area. In the future, rice produced using these techniques will be used to develop a number of products, such as germinated brown rice, rice cakes, rice porridge, skin care products and other diversified products. With many years of contributions in the field, in 2022, the team was given the Model Award in the ‘Ecological Common Good’ category at the Global Views Magazine University Social Responsibility Awards for their “Golden Waves of Rice Reconcile with the Land” project.
The cooperation between NPUST and Yeedon Enterprise is the best example of mutual support between industry and academia. The NPUST team is providing professional technology which is being applied to rice production for Taiwan’s leading rice brand, and together they are working to spread SPRI probiotic rice farming techniques to all areas of the country. And thanks to the production and marketing capabilities of Yeedon Enterprise, these carbon-reducing rice cultivation methods will gradually become mainstream. Not only is this objective in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it is also an example of industry and university social responsibility. Together they are guarding the health of the people by providing consumers with safe and reliable food while at the same time inviting all people of Taiwan to join forces with schools and enterprises to form a sustainable frontier for the land.
