But this traditional method, in use for more than a century in Taiwan, wastes water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Drip irrigation, a newer method, uses buried pipes to deliver water directly to the plants. The technique requires no furrows, leaving farmers with more land on which to plant. It also provides small amounts of water at regular intervals, conserving resources.
這套已經沿用百年的傳統灌溉方式，其實很浪費水、肥料和農藥；新技術則是採用田裡鋪設有洞塑膠管的「滴袋灌溉模式」，不用作畦，耕地使用面積提高，少量定時給水，也更節省資源。