Consequence and Reflection of High-Input and High-Yielding Technology In Rice Culture

벼 고투입 다수확재배의 결과와 성찰

Tong-il, the high-yielding rice variety bred on early 1970, effected a turning point in modern rice production in Korea. As rice production reached the highest record yield in 1978 with HYV, Korea achieved self-sufficiency in domestic supply of rice (or the first time in (her own) history, HYV required high input of fertilizers and pesticides for proving its yielding ability and needed new techniques such as early nursery-planting to prevent chilling damage. But, farm economy did not follow the successful achievement of rice production because of increased farming cost and inflation.'Tong-il variety has been replaced by new high-yielding Japonica varieties from 1980 when record-low-temperature during summer months had persisted. Also, the cooked rice of Tong-il variety did not agree with the appetite of Korean people. Though the hectarage of Tong-il rice did reduce, farmers applied the same high-input cultural techniques for new Japonica cultivars as did for Tong-il variety. Heavy application of nitrogen fertilizer contaminated surface and ground water with nitrate ions while phosphorous fertilizer was blamed for algae pollution. Frequent spray of pesticide and herbicide reduced significantly the biotic population in paddy ecosystems including insects and soil microorganisms. The new technologies of the 21st century must be directed to produce safe food, to save natural resources, and to preserve a clean environment for human welfare. We need low-input sustainable farming techniques to provide high-yielding crops and to preserve a healthy ecosystem.