Researchers have not pinpointed the reason for the decline, but many suspect that centuries of
intensive rice culture may be slowly bleeding away the soil's capacity to produce.
In
continuous rice culture, the formation and maintenance of the compacted lower soil layer that reduces water infiltration can be considered an investment in infrastructure.
The island is not fertile like Bali and although there are many trees and woodlands there is
little rice culture.
All rice culture in Asia is and has been hydroponic.