Li Zonghan (left), a reserve botanist at the Botany Teaching Hospital of National Taiwan University, walks into the farmland to diagnose crops for farmers and prescribe the right medicine.

(Provided by Li Zonghan)

[Reporter Yang Yuanting/Taipei Report] Under climate change, plant diseases and insect pests are increasing rapidly, and there is an urgent need to establish a plant medicine system. The Economic Committee of the Legislative Yuan passed the preliminary review of the "Plant Physician Law" on November 24 last year, but it triggered strong boycotts from the Physician Association , resolutely oppose the use of the word "physician" by botanists; the four universities with botanical medicine programs, National Taiwan University, Zhongxing, Chiayi University, and Ping University of Science and Technology, launched a joint countermeasure.

Whether the Phytophysician Law will be successfully passed through the third reading this year has greatly increased the variables.

Ye Xidong, an academician of the Academia Sinica, believes that human medicine should not be limited to egoism, just like veterinarians treat animals, and botanists treat plants. Each has a specialty to treat different lives. Medical medicine requires a doctor's prescription, and pesticides also need a doctor's prescription. , can not take medicine casually.

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Zhong Wenxin, director of the master's degree program in plant medicine and safe agriculture at Chung Hsing University, said that many new pests and diseases have been discovered in Taiwan's fields in recent years. Just like the notification of emerging infectious diseases discovered by human doctors, plant doctors also shoulder the important task of immediately reporting new diseases and insect pests to agricultural authorities. Units formulate prevention and control strategies in advance.

Scholar: Plant Physician Prescribes Pesticides According to Pests and Diseases

He explained that the training of plant doctors includes microbiology, plant physiology, plant anatomy, soil and fertilizer management, crop cultivation management, diagnosis and control of pests and diseases. food safety.

He hopes that human medicine can also respect the profession of plant medicine, and hopes that the third reading of the law will be passed as soon as possible, so that we can immediately face the problems that climate change will bring about a large number of crop yields.

Li Zonghan, who works at the Yunlin Branch of the National Taiwan University Botanical Teaching Hospital, said that at present, the hospital's plant medicine services have more than 300 cases of crop pesticides, diseases and insect pests, etc. every year, covering more than 200 hectares. Before Yunlin, there was a severe wilt of cucumbers. After consultation Farmers who use precise medicine after planting and take preventive measures in advance can extend the harvest period by two times, and the auction price is higher because of the better quality.

Council of Agriculture: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also uses the title of plant physician

Zou Huijuan, deputy director of the Bureau of Prevention and Inspection of the Council of Agriculture, emphasized that the name of plant doctor is not unique to Taiwan, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations calls plant doctor "Plant Doctor".

Article 6 of the Phytophysician Law clearly stipulates the abbreviation as "Plant Physician" and will not be called a physician directly. Farmers also think that Phytophysician is easy to understand. If it is changed to "Plant Therapist" suggested by the medical profession, it is difficult to understand the meaning .

Zou Huijuan said that with regard to the concepts of health integration and epidemic prevention integration, doctors take care of people, veterinarians take care of animals, and plant doctors protect plants. Through professional diagnosis, plant doctors help farmers manage diseases and insect pests and use precise medicines, which is of great help to the environment and food safety. beneficial.

The initiative of the four universities to "Support the use of botanist name joint signatures" has been supported by more than 4,000 people. Xiao Xufeng, director of the Plant Medicine Program at National Taiwan University, is one of the initiators of the joint signature.

He said that he was touched by the support from all walks of life, the Housewives Alliance and other groups, and veterinarians in a short period of time. He will continue to seek the support of farmers' groups and send it to the Legislative Yuan for early approval.