宜蘭的水稻一年是一期， 因此一年只有一次做實驗跟驗證的機會， 從第一年數螺到現在，
走一個荏苒路線。
也許從研究單位或是規劃的角度來看，
做這些田間調查跟買機器都不是太難的事， 可是怎麼從生產者的角度一步一步做， 把方法不斷調整，
磨合進田間工作者真的可以操作， 成本跟人力都合理的狀態， 才是最不容易的地方。
#完結篇
#哈螺米
#恭喜大家看完了實驗簡報 農田裡的科學計畫
雖然沒有一勞永逸的
Problem Solved Once And For All? Yeah Right!
In Yilan, rice is grown once a year, which means only one opportunity for experimentation and verification each year. It has been a long and winding road since the first year of counting snails to the present.
From a research and planning perspective, conducting field experiments and purchasing machinery may not be so difficult. However, the most challenging thing is how to gradually apply the findings from the perspective of farmers, integrating them into field practices in a way that is both cost-effective and labor-efficient.
＃ The final episode
＃ Snail-Friendly
Rice
＃ Congratulations on making it this far
To solve the problems of apple snails, there is no such thing as a once and for all solution like simply buying a transplanting machine for large rice seedlings.
在福壽螺的世界裡， 並沒有買了大秧插秧機就一勞永逸這 種事情。
＃把育失敗的秧倒掉重來
For example, following a long tradition of failure, the first attempt at cultivating seedlings may fail.
＃ In this case, the seedlings were discarded and they started over again.
比方說，延續失敗的傳統， 第一次育秧就失敗。
做秧盤的機器要換
In adopting a new transplanting machine, the entire rice cultivation system needs to be transformed. The machine for spreading seeds must be replaced…
�� Look a t th e sexy hole s i n Ying-de’ s sleeves
�� I want to pok e them
因為換了大秧插秧機， 後面的整套育秧系統都要換掉。＃映德的洞洞袖套好性感 ＃想戳
秧盤要換，
從整片的平盤變成特製的穴盤，
一片秧盤就是幾張鈔票）
…and they have to switch from using traditional flat tra y s to custom-made holed trays, at no minor cost.
Hey man, how about we replace your vest too?
＃ The insides of y our vest are falling out.
這位大哥要不要順便換一下背心 ＃背心的腸子都掉出來了
They also needed to purchase a trailer to transport the transplanting machine.
＃ It’s the Apple Snail Shopping Spree!
還有載插秧機的拖車要買。 ＃根本福壽購物節
Transporting the increased number of seedling trays is an additional challenge.
Unexpected problems have arisen one after another since we started.
怎麼運送數量變多的秧盤， 也要想辦法解決， 真的開始做之後， 沒想過的問題一個一個跑出來。
While money is an issue, the important thing is figuring out how to grow large and healthy rice seedlings.
錢雖然是問題， 但重點是， 到底要怎麼育出漂亮的大秧。
＃台南農改場嘉義分場 ＃台南16號就是在這裡育種的
After guessing and brainstorming for a while, we finally went to Chiayi to visit R.K., Chen, chief of the Chiayi Branch of the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station. ＃ It's here that they developed the rice variety Tainan #16.
東想西想，都是猜測， 於是我們跑去嘉義， 找陳榮坤場長。
這台機器本來的用途是在日本北部， 因為天氣太冷， 所以秧苗先育在溫室裡，
等候回暖才插秧。
They have one of the same transplanting machines at the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station.
This transplanting machine is from northern Japan, where because the weather is too cold, they first cultivate rice seedlings in a greenhouse so they grow big and healthy before transplanting when the weather warms up.
The Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, however, uses this machine for breeding purposes.
農改場也有一台一樣的機器。
農改場用這一台， 則是為了育種。
They only allow one seed in each hole of the seedling trays. The process is very strict.
育種用的穴盤， 一穴只能有一顆，要很純， 過程非常嚴格。
Mr. Chen shared a lot of experience and techniques on how to grow large, strong rice seedlings with us.
陳場長傳授給我們許多心法。
超愛來找陳場長。 （當娘家在回？）
We visited him several times and always enjoyed paying him a visit.
來打擾了好幾次，
幾回合練功改良， 2022年，
農田裡的科學計畫的大秧代耕， 就這樣見洞補洞， 見溝跳溝的展開了。
After several attempts and improvements, in 2022, Science in Field began its large rice seedlings transplanting business. While it may not yet be a totally mature process, they patch up holes and fill in the gaps along the way.
In fact, it is not actuall y that difficult to “solve” the problem of apple snail damage. Using molluscicides would do the job, but that is not a part of our worldview.
其實如果只是單純要解決福壽螺的問 題，
並沒有這麼難， 下殺螺藥就好， 但那不是我們的世界觀。
今年插秧的時候， 我的田裡都是蝌蚪。
My rice paddies were full of tadpoles this spring.
我很慶幸不用撒任何東西進去， 殺螺藥不會只殺到福壽螺。
而且已經觀察到， 有很多台灣的生物會吃福壽螺， 把生態維護好， 福壽螺的數量也會被平衡掉一些。
I am glad that I did not need to use any molluscicides, as the apple snails aren’t the only thing they would kill.
Furthermore, it has been observed that many native creatures prey on apple snails in Taiwan.
By maintaining healthy ecosystems to keep these predators alive, the number of apple snails will also be somewhat regulated.
目前摸索出來的方法是， 在等待插秧的幾週空檔， 氣溫回暖的時候， 用陷阱、誘捕、或直接撈， 控制福壽螺到一個量， 然後就插大秧。
＃插秧日
＃芳儀還在量數據
The method we have currently figured out is to control the number of apple snails by using a combination of traps, bait and capture or catching them with nets or other tools in the weeks before transplanting the large rice seedlings.
# Transplanting Day
# Fang-y ee is still gathering data on the large seedlings
在紀錄秧苗大小。
#真的有這麼多東西可以記錄就是了
#嚴重懷疑芳儀的興趣是丈量世界
Fang-y ee measured the size of the rice seedlings.
# Are there really that many things you can measure?
# I seriously suspect that Fang-y ee’s would love to measure everything in the world
這一年的設定是， 在插秧之前撿螺， 但插大秧之後， 下好離手，
就不再撿，看螺可以吃多少。
紅色的是被福壽螺吃空的地方， 不到田區總面積的5%。
All right, if y ou are also a data enthusiast, here are some numbers. This year we removed some apple snails before transplanting.
But after transplanting, we leave them alone and see how much of the rice seedlings are eaten by apple snails. The red parts indicate areas that have been eaten by apple snails, accounting for less than 5% of the total area of this rice paddy.
好的， 如果你也是數據控的話， 這裡有個紀錄。
45%損失
It was indeed much better than the situation in previous years where apple snails ate so many rice seedlings it was like whole patches had been abducted b y aliens, despite the fact that they ’d worked themselves to the bone to remove the snails.
Statisticall y spea k ing, large rice seedlings can reduce losses b y 45% compared to traditional small rice seedlings.
跟前幾年撿個半死，
樣， 是真的好很多了， 統計下來，大秧可以比傳統小秧降低
還是常常被吃到像外星人來吸過秧一
＃剛開始種田的時候 ＃一顆一顆的撿螺
＃都會被經過的人笑
The chilling sight of apple snails devouring rice seedlings is like a nightmare from the past.
＃ Back when we first started farming, people passing by our paddies would mock us for removing them by hand, one by one.
之前福壽螺吃到心寒的場面， 像一場過去的惡夢。
Traditional rice transplanting machines cut the roots of the rice seedlings during the transplantation process, causing seedlings to turn yellow for a few days after being transplanted. On the contrary, large seedlings are transplanted one by one with their roots intact so they can continue to grow as soon as they are transplanted.
大秧穴盤的做法， 也比較不會傷根。
傳統插秧機是用切的， 所以秧苗插下去會黃幾天， 大秧則是一株一株， 一下去就開始發根。
水位控制可以調高， 雜草的問題就變少了， 過沒多久，
福壽螺可以幫忙吃剛發芽雜草。
Furthermore, large seedlings are taller and tougher for apple snails to bite through.
Thus, farmers can raise water levels, reducing weed germination. Then, after a while, apple snails can even help to eat the tender weeds that do germinate.
但老話一句， 在福壽螺的世界，
沒有一勞永逸的事。
大秧插秧的成本比較高， 耗材貴、顧的時間也長， 螺還是要移除， 但是換算下來， 比全面撿螺跟補秧的人力成本低。
種田的方法有很多種，
我們只是摸索出這樣的「哈螺農法」， 不是一招必殺技，
而是考慮到周遭生物， 複合式又微麻煩的農法。
However, as the saying goes, nothing is ever really done once and for all. The cost of transplanting large seedlings is higher, needing expensive supplies and requiring a longer time in the nursery stage. And, some snails still need to be removed.
But, if we put a money value on the labor required for removing snails and patching up the missing seedlings in
the rice paddies, transplanting large seedlings is still the more cost-effective method.
There are many ways to grow rice. The "Snail-Friendl y Farming Method" we have developed is not a one-sizefits-all solution, but an integrated and somewhat complicated method that takes into account the other creatures in the environment.
但總之多歸了他們， 沒了跟螺在那邊八點檔，
我今年甚至種田種到覺得有些無聊 （喂！
＃是多想跟福壽螺沒完沒了 ＃孽緣硬要愛 ＃愛到卡慘死
＃福壽螺表示
＃什麼時候要放過我 ＃沒有要放過
以上是我跟拍八年才接到的業配。
＃很榮幸可以這樣一路尾隨
But anyway, it worked out for them, and there’s no more apple snail drama to worry about this year. Farming this year even felt a little boring as a result! (Come on, really ?).
＃ I just can't get enough of apple snails.
＃ Love until it hurts…
＃ Apple snails say , “When will y ou let
me go?”
＃ Sorry , I have no intention of letting you go.
The above paid content was the culmination of eight years of volunteer filming.
＃ It is my honor to have been along for the ride.