摘要
本文比較台灣蓬萊與在來種稻作的生產技術與產出利潤，探討蓬萊種稻作得以取代在來種而迅速普及的原因。我們發現蓬萊種與在來種稻作的生產技術並不相同。蓬萊的規模報酬較在來小，單位土地投入的生產要素也較在來多，尤其是肥料的高度投入更迥異於傳統的在來種稻作。而從1930年代起，這種多肥式的生產方式逐漸地由蓬萊擴散至在來。蓬萊在單位土地上的高成本投入，使得其單位面積產量顯著地高過在來，但其單位成本產量卻未較在來高。惟蓬萊在市場上的高價，彌補了其在生產上的不利，使得蓬萊的利潤反而比在來來得高。且自1930年代起蓬萊在生產上的劣勢逐漸消弭，價格上的優勢卻持續維持，加以種植蓬萊米的風險不比在來米高，農民種植蓬萊米的技術效率也不比在來差，逐使得蓬萊的利潤遠遠超過在來，吸引了農民改種蓬萊種，促成蓬萊種的普及。
並列摘要
This study compares the production technology and profitability of ponlai (rice) and chailai (rice), and explores the factors that made ponlai quicky expand displacing chailai. We find that the production technology of the two rice varieties were not the same. Firstly, the scale of return of ponlai was smaller than that of chailai. Secondly, the amount of inputs used per chia of land in ponlai production were more than that of chailai, especially the amount of fertilizers. Thirdly, this fertilizer intensive technology was diffused to the production of chailai by the 1930s. As for output and profit, we also have several findings. (1) Although greater factor inputs enabled a greated ponlai harvest per chia of land, the harvest was smaller per yen of factor inputs. (2) However, the much higher. (3)while the advantage in price was maintained, ponlai's disadvantage in production cost disappeared gradually in the 1930s. (4) In addition, the risk of ponlai production was not higher, and it's production efficiency was not lower than those of chailai. All these factors made ponlai become the widespread variety of rice in Taiwan.