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Category: Cây trồng

Transition towards sustainable shallot value chains in the Mekong Delta

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Maybe unknown to many but shallot is one of the key vegetable crops in the Mekong Delta, generating one of the highest income contributions per m2 and month. One of the most important production areas for shallot in Vietnam, is Vinh Chau district in Soc Trang province in the Mekong Delta.

Shallots are a crucial source of income for farmers and workers, who mostly belong to the Khmer ethnicity. Poverty incidence among the Khmer, are one of the highest in the Mekong Delta. For those Khmer who have been able to switch to shallot farming, this has been one of the few pathways to grow out of poverty. Just the shallot sector in Vinh Chau district created jobs for about 70,000 Khmer.

Collecting shallots after harvest from the field (picture: Fresh Studio®)

High use of ground water

Although shallot has been an important crop to reduce poverty among the Khmer, the current farming system is putting pressure on the environment, as currently large amounts of ground water is used to produce shallots in an inefficient way.

Based on data collection by Fresh Studio, the volume of ground water being used for one shallot crop cycle being cultivated on 1,000 m2 is estimated to be 220.5 m3. The volume of 220.5 m3/1,000 m2 per crop cycle, means 2,205 m3/ha per crop cycle. If we multiply this number times the 6,000 ha of shallot cultivation in Vinh Chau, this means that in the main shallot season an estimated 13,230,000 m3 of ground water is used for shallot production. This is equal to 189,000 m3 of ground water per day for 70 days, which is an enormous amount of water.

There are two key reasons for this high use of water:

  • Inefficient irrigation methods
  • At least one to two crop cycles to produce the shallot bulbs used as propagation material, before the main shallot crop is grown. These shallot bulbs cropping cycles for propagation material also require quite some water.

The extraction of ground water for shallot production leads to land subsidence in Vinh Chau district. Land subsidence makes the Mekong Delta more vulnerable to the rising sea levels and accelerates salinization.

Irrigation by hand of shallot crop in Soc Trang (picture: Fresh Studio®)

Current irrigation method

That farmers mainly use ground water, through their own drilled wells for irrigation water is confirmed by a study among 90 farm households in Vinh Chau district in Soc Trang Province, of which 85% use groundwater from drilled wells during the dry season. Unfortunately, this groundwater is then used in an inefficient way, mainly delivered in buckets, whereby only 20% of the irrigation water reaches the crop, according to the head of the Soc Trang department of irrigation (Vietnamnet, 2013). 

This current inefficient irrigation methods, are confirmed by a study by Can Tho university with sprinkler irrigation on shallots in Vinh Chau. This improved irrigation system resulted in a 43-59% reduction in water use and an income increase of 20% (Hong Minh Hoang et al, 2016).  The Asian Development Bank in a paper published in 2017 also identifies the implementation of high efficiently irrigation systems (HEIS), such as sprinklers and drip irrigation, as a key strategy to reduce the amount of water used per kg of crop produced. 

Bringing these technologies to smallholder farmers in the Mekong Delta would be an important innovation and one that would be supported by government policy, which has recommended that HEIS be adopted more widely.

Shallot bulbs

Currently farmers produce their own shallots bulbs as propagation material, to produce consumption shallots in the December- March period which they sell to traders.

To produce these shallot bulbs, they use a part of the harvest of the December – March, and then plant those shallots bulbs again in very high density to produce bulbs as propagation material to be used for next season. They produce the shallot bulbs as propagation material in the Feb-April period, after which they need to store the shallot bulbs till December of the new production season.

During this storage period from April till November about 30-40% of the shallot bulbs stored as propagation material for the next shallot production season, will be lost (mainly due to Fusarium). As a result of losses, many farmers produce yet another shallot bulb crop in November – December, using additional water without increasing productivity.

In addition to significant post-harvest losses and the high costs to produce the shallot bulbs as propagation material, the shallot bulb production also has the big disadvantage of propagating diseases, thereby reducing productivity in future harvests as well.

Tropical hybrid shallot variety

A new tropical hybrid shallot variety (Maserati) developed by the Dutch seed company Bejo Zaden B.V. enables shallot farmers to produce shallots from seeds.

Maserati is based on the genetic material of the Vinh Chau shallot and therefore has the same appearance and taste. These shallot seeds can be sowed directly in the field or first used to produce shallot seedlings, which are then transplanted in the field to produce shallots. Because these true shallot seeds are hybrid and will be guaranteed disease free, the farmer will get higher yields and a better pest and disease resistance.

In addition, they will not have to spend one or two seasons on producing and storing the shallots bulbs as propagation material. Even though the seed price might be higher, starting with hybrid shallot seedlings (produced from seeds), will have an enormous impact on increasing farm income and will halve their use of ground water for shallot farming.

Adaptation of innovative and sustainable production practices, such as sprinkler or drip irrigation, irrigation decision support tools, fertilizer application advise and integrated pest and diseases management to name a few will further increase the positive impact on farmer’s income, water use efficiency and reduce the agro-chemical footprint of shallot production on the environment.

Successful mini-bulb production from hybrid seed for early planting of next shallot production season. After mini-bulb production, shallot seedlings are produced in the nursery for the main shallot production season.

Impact cluster: combining technologies and knowledge

This is also an important reason why this impact cluster is formed, as just introducing hybrid shallot seeds to shallot farmers is not the optimal solution. The combination of the knowledge and technologies of the impact cluster partners enables the cluster to establish and introduce shallot farmers the system to start their shallot production from hybrid shallot seedlings.

The creation of nurseries specialized in producing hybrid shallot seedlings and mini bulbs provides an opportunity to generate additional income and jobs in the region. As part this project the following parties collaborate together:

  • Bejo zaden
  • Groot & Slot
  • Royal Brinkman
  • BvB Substrates
  • Eurofins
  • Can Tho University
  • Fresh Studio
Project meeting at Can Tho University

Project objective

The main objective of the impact cluster “Transition towards sustainable shallot value chains in the Mekong Delta” is to strengthen the shallot production sector in the Mekong Delta (Soc Trang province, > 6,000 hectares of shallot production), by introducing and making innovative Dutch production technologies and methods accessible for local shallot farmers, which will make shallot production more sustainable and profitable.

The impact cluster will further strengthen the adoption of these improved production technologies, by creating market linkages for the shallot farmers, so that a sustainable shallot value chain is developed.

Project activities

Through this impact cluster an important contribution will be made to address excessive and inefficient water use by shallot farmers in the Mekong Delta.

In the area of Vinh Chau district of Soc Trang Province, shallot farming is the second largest agricultural land use activity. This type of land use is contributing to one of the highest rates of subsidence in the Mekong Delta (Minderhoud et al, 2018), making the shallot sector a key contributor to reduced water security in the region. By increasing water use-efficiency, the extraction of ground water can be halved, which can help to reduce the rate of land subsidence. 

The main activities of the impact cluster to achieve the project objective are:

  • Demonstrating optimized irrigation strategy and water use efficiency
  • Demonstrating optimized shallot production technologies through hybrid shallot seedlings and integrated pest and disease management
  • Demonstrating optimized fertiliser application strategy
  • Field days to showcase improved hybrid shallot production technologies
  • Develop training programs in sustainable and improved hybrid shallot production for farmers
  • Capacity building shallot sector stakeholders
  • Creating market linkages of hybrid shallot producers with the domestic and export markets

SỬ DỤNG ÍT NƯỚC VÀ CHẤT DINH DƯỠNG HƠN TRONG CANH TÁC TẠI VIỆT NAM

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The project consortium partners Ridder, Royal Brinkman, HollandDoor and Fresh Studio are pleased to announce that our project application under the Partners for Water program has been approved. Under the project name: “Improving water availability and safety through optimized irrigation and fertilizer application by hydroponic growers in Vietnam” the project consortium will establish 2 pilot locations to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of re-using drain water to local horticulture farmers in Lam Dong province, which is the horticultural production center of Vietnam.

Before the application of this pilot project a thorough feasibility study was undertaken by the consortium, providing sufficient understanding and proof for which crops, and under which circumstances an investment in re-using drain water has the fastest return on investment.

In Vietnam a modern greenhouse sector is fast developing, especially in the highlands of Lam Dong Province, which is since decades the main production region of fresh vegetables and flowers for the densely populated urban Mekong, including Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). To prevent soilborne diseases and to increase productivity, greenhouse production in Lam Dong is shifting fast towards hydroponic greenhouse cultivation (out of soil, on a substrate) in which irrigation is combined with fertilizer application (fertigation). In terms of water efficiency hydroponic cultivation is much more efficient, however irrigation requirements are still significant. This project is unique as it unlocks abilities in both the fields of water safety and water security:

  • Water security: increasing water use efficiency to produce horticultural produce and thereby decreasing the water footprint of vegetables and flowers produced by saving 10 – 35% of irrigation water.
  • Water safety: greatly reducing the contamination of the environment (eutrophication) by avoiding leaching of nutrient rich drain water into the environment.
Modern sweet pepper and tomato production on substrate in Vietnam, without re using drain water.

The rapid expansion of intensive horticulture production combined with irrigation practices and management which are not optimized, is putting pressure on the availability of sufficient irrigation water. The limits of available irrigation water resources are already reached. With increasing demand for fresh vegetables, this creates a risk for food security in some periods of the year. Using irrigation water more efficient and increasing the water use efficiency will enable the horticulture sector in Vietnam to grow in a sustainable manner, while ensuring food security and water availability in the future.

Picture of the greenhouse production area surrounding Da Lat city in Lam Dong province.

The re-use of drain water is not yet applied in Vietnam by local growers, while this is common practice in the Netherlands within the horticulture sector. Adapting the technologies applied in the Netherlands to be technically and economically feasible in Vietnam to re-use drain water makes this project unique and innovative. Especially the Ridder VitaLite system, which has not yet been applied by local vegetable growers in Vietnam. It may seem simple to copy the Dutch system and put it in place in Vietnam, but it is certainly not as simple as that. The systems to re-use drain water have been developed and have evolved over 40 years. Access to knowledge and companies providing services related the re-using of drain water are readily available in the Netherlands. This is, however, not the case in Vietnam. To introduce re-use of drain water successfully in Vietnam a holistic approach is required. For example, the Ridder VitaLate system which disinfects drain water, will not work if there is not a well working drain water collecting system collecting and transporting the drain water to the Ridder VitaLite system. The system also requires adaptations in monitoring and adjusting the fertilizer application program, to prevent that crops will not perform up to their full potential.

Schematic overview of re using drain water (source: Ridder) and the project partners.

To demonstrate and convince horticulture growers (main beneficiaries) to invest in this technology we will establish a pilot project, where 2 systems to re-use drain water with the Ridder VitaLite are established with local growers. Through these 2 pilot systems we will:

  • Test the system on a commercial scale and eliminate any unforeseen issue
  • Quantify the results of drain water re-use e.g. crop performance, water savings, fertilizer savings (water footprint) of crops grown and return on investment
  • Demonstrate the Ridder VitaLite technology enabling drain water re-use to 500 – 750 growers stimulating adoption of the technology by local growers
  • Create awareness of authorities of the benefit of re-use of drain water
  • Enable upscaling and commercial application of re-using drain water by Vietnamese growers
  • Develop a leasing construction for growers who are unable to make the investment themselves

The long-term objective of our pilot project is that the re-use of drain water becomes common practice in the horticulture sector in Vietnam. This will support the development of a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and more efficient horticulture sector as re-use of drain water will greatly improve the water use efficiency and prevent contamination of the environment (eutrophication) through leaching of nutrient rich drain water into the environment. At the same time re-using drain water will reduce the production costs and make Vietnamese growers more cost efficient.

For more information about this project please contact:

René van Rensen

The Partners for Water program is implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management, Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs and Climate and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

For more information see: www.partnersvoorwater.nl

Optimizing Mango fertilizer strategy from leaf and soil test result

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Imbalance nutrients during fertilization often leads to high incidence of disease during pre and post-harvest of mango production. Therefore, under the umbrella of the Green Innovation Centre for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC), Fresh Studio has introduced soil and leaf test to help farmers understand more about their soil health and how the tree absorbs the nutrients. Understanding these features can help farmer step-by-step adjust their own fertilizer program.

On 7th June, Fresh Studio gave a short training for farmers in the six project province emphasizing the importance of balance nutrition for good yield and optimize production cost. More than 170 farmers attended the workshop and to be counted more. Together with the training, a guideline about nutrient management also provided to the farmers. The highlight of the training was emphasizing on how importance is the soil pH as the first step the correct the fertilizer application. pH tester paper was introduced and provided to the farmers attended to the training to help them understand the current situation of their soil before any corrective step.

Reading nutrient deficiency symptoms and checking the leaves

In addition to the fertilizer management workshop, Fresh Studio also promoted the importance of proper pruning for a fruitful yield and reduce the production cost. Mango farmers now pruned after harvest, however, still many producers did not prune properly. Additionally, the planting density is dense which cause numerous production issues, including high risk of disease and high production cost. It is interesting that after the training, GAP Cu Lao Gieng Cooperative has informed Fresh Studio that farmers started to reduce the planting density and the local agricultural department want to promote this innovation to more farmers.

Q&A during the workshop
Giving hand saw as a gift to remind frequent pruning to improve performance.

Last but not least, to keep track of the farming activity and learn practical lessons, Fresh Studio also highlighted the importance of keep a farm record and warmed up the contest.

Fruitful Sharing At Mango Post-harvest management training

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

As part of the Green Innovation Centers for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC Vietnam) project, Mango Business School successfully held the Mango post-harvest management Tập huấn on May 18-19, 2023. The training took place at the Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI) and featured teaching from Rene Oostewechel, an international consultant Postharvest Technology at Wageningen University & Research.

The workshop was a resounding success, with nearly 60 actors from local authorities, cooperatives, companies, and farmers registering to attend. The trainees, who were enthusiastic about the course, absorbed many useful lectures and interesting activities.

Post-harvest treatment is crucial to increase profitability for farmers and businesses

This training course was part of the Mango Business School of the GIC project component. The primary aim of the training was to teach methodologies for controlling post-harvest losses during the mango supply chain, from harvesting to export. The course covered 07 topics: post-harvest management of mango, optimal storage conditions, prevention of post-harvest diseases, group discussions on how to prevent post-harvest diseases, packaging of mango fruits, modified packaging of mango fruit, and field trip.

In addition to classroom lectures, the course included field trips to the Hoang Phat Fruit Co. Ltd. packhouse, where trainees were shown the standard process of de-sapping, hot water treatment, packing, and cold storage. The field trips gave trainees hands-on experience in the mango supply chain and allowed them to see the practical application of the theories they learned in class.

Packhouse of Hoang Phat Fruit Ltd.

By the end of the training course, the trainees left with a wealth of knowledge on how to control post-harvest losses during the mango supply chain. Attendees were grateful for the opportunity to learn from an expert in postharvest technology and get hands-on experience in the field. It is hoped that the lessons learned in this course will be applied to the mango industry to reduce post-harvest losses and increase profitability for farmers and businesses.

Fresh Studio at the Fifth Exhibition of HortEx Vietnam 2023

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

From March 1st to March 3rd, 2023, the fifth international exhibition and conference for Horticultural and Floricultural and Processing Technology, HortEx Vietnam 2023, was held successfully.

Fresh Studio at the HortEx Vietnam 2023

This year, Fresh Studio was pleased to participate in the exposition in collaboration with partners Elysee, Fitto, Agrico, Limgroup, Agriance, Gautier, BVB Substrates, BASF, Nunhems, Koppert, and Royal Brinkman. Thanks to the trust of our partners, Fresh Studio was honored to present them and introduce their applications to visitors at the same booth.

At the booth, we welcomed visitors and potential clients, introducing and advising them on our services and how they could fit into their business, such as seeds, greenhouse film, irrigation systems, and substrates. Visitors had the opportunity to try our vegetables and take samples of the supplies, helping us gain more trust and reliability from clients. Everyone was impressed by the grandiose display of the booth and how helpful we were.

In addition, on the first day, our Managing Partner, Rene van Rensen, held two seminars at the exhibition. These seminars aimed to help visitors and potential clients understand more about Fresh Studio’s impacts and services in the horticultural sector. The seminars also showed how we could help them build a sustainable business in the future. In the past, we created value chains for different products, introduced high-quality substrates, modern greenhouse film, and more to help farmers and cooperatives.

The second seminar was about cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands toward a sustainable horticultural sector. The conference was held by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Vietnam, the Agricultural Counselor, the Deputy Director General, the Crop Production Department, and other businesses such as Open Asia/Larive, Koppert, Ridder, and Fresh Studio. Rene van Rensen introduced the impact of the application of biological control agents to keep pests and diseases under the economic threshold. Depending on the crops, we could apply selected natural enemies and biological control products to maximize prevention naturally, instead of using chemical pest control.

Fresh Studio would like to thank our sponsors, partners, and visitors. Without them, this successful event could not have happened. Thank you for visiting and reaching out to us. We hope to see you again in the future.

Launching of ‘My Mango Farm Diary’ contest and ‘Anthracnose control’ workshop

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

My Mango Farm Diary contest

Farm diary has been receiving attention not only from buyers but also responsible consumers. It is the first priority to be issued production unit code (PUC), so that the products produced on the farm can be exported.

On 8th February, Fresh Studio kicked off the “My Mango Farm Diary” contest to encourage farmer to document their production process in 10 partnered cooperatives. The contest aimed to create a habit for farmers to write what agro-chemical products they used, which can increase transparency, reliability and confidence for the end-users.

My Mango farm diary contest and anthracnose control workshop

The contest received a warm welcome from cooperative leaders. They reckoned that writing farm production diary is the most challenging task; however, the GIC mango project motivates the growers through this contest and interesting rewards. At present, 242 farmers have signed up the contest. Tinh Thoi Cooperative (Dong Thap), Binh Hang Trung Cooperative (Dong Thap) and Cat Hoa Loc Hon Dat Cooperative (Kien Giang) are the top 3 having the highest number of participants.

Workshop – Anthracnose control

Besides the contest, how to use the agro-chemical products correctly and comply to the requirements of the market, Fresh Studio also collaborated with BASF – a German agro-chemical producer – to give a short talk on the control of anthracnose in the rainy season. BASF representatives also selected some farmers to make demonstration of their anthracnose control protocol so the farmers can see the efficacy by their own eyes.

Mango farming training related to the climate-smart agriculture in Dong Thap and An Giang

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

From 8 to 11 November 2022 as part of the Mango Business School activities under the Green Innovation Centers for the agriculture and food sector (GIC) project: ‘Strengthening the Mango value chain in the Mekong River Delta’, project partners were trained in mango farming strategies related to efficient fertilizer application, pruning strategy, anthracnose control and irrigation strategy. The training was provided by experts from Can Tho University, Eurofins, Loc Troi and Fresh Studio.

All trainees were actively involved in the various training sessions

During the training, trainees learned how to prune branches to create canopy properly, the demand and calculation of soil nutrients, the reasons for soil and leaf tests, calculation the amount of water required for mango trees, determine the appropriate time to irrigate through smart devices, and identify, treat anthracnose. The highly participatory approach of the training resulted that all trainees were actively involved in the various training sessions.

The knowledge and methods trained during the classroom sessions were applied by the trainees during their assignments. They experienced what they learned on the day of practice in the demo farm. It was very exciting for them to practice measuring soil moisture through modern equipment such as tension meter, electric sensor and compared with manual method. They also practiced taking soil and leaf samples and performing pruning and anthracnose identification. Compared with the theoretical study in class, the practical day helps them understand the knowledge deeper and have the plan to apply these advanced techniques to their orchards in the near future.

About the project

GIC Vietnam is jointly implemented by Ministry of agriculture and rural development (MARD) and GIZ and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project aims to promote sustainable Mango Value Chain in six provinces of the Mekong River Delta (MRD): Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang and Soc Trang by fostering innovations on mango value chains.

This project aims to increase the productivity and income of small-scale farming households, create new jobs and improve resilience of the mango value chains through implementation of climate-intelligent innovations.

Strengthening the Mango value chain in the Mekong Delta

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The “Strengthening the Mango value chain in the Mekong Delta” project aims to enable stakeholders throughout the value chain to successfully implement identified innovations to enhance their business in terms of sustainability, climate chain resilience and profitability.

Agricultural production in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam is of great national and global importance for current and future food security as well as rural income. It is threatened by the consequences of climate change and the unsustainable use of water and agrochemicals. The smallholders of the Mekong Delta region are not yet able to access existing and developing innovations to ensure their business and income are secure. There even more difficulties in ensuring their production methods are environmentally sustainable. Limited access to innovation limits sustainable rural development and improved food quality and security.

An overview of the component “Strengthening the Mango Value Chain In The Mekong Delta”

The Vietnam country package is a part of their global project “Green Innovation Centre (GIC) in the Agricultural and Food Sector” of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) special initiative “ONE WORLD without Hunger”. It is carried out in six central provinces of the Mekong Delta: An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Tien Giang, Hau Giang and Soc Trang. The main project objective is to provide rice and mango smallholders with access to sustainable innovations to increase income, employment and food quality. The “Strengthening the Mango value chain in the Mekong Delta” project is implemented under the Vietnam country package.

Vietnam produces about 800,000 tons of fresh mango annually, of which about 500,000 tons are produced in the Mekong Delta, this accounts for 45% of the national share of mango orchards. This puts Vietnam in fourteenth place globally in terms of volume of mango production. The majority of mango produced is consumed on the domestic market. 170,000 tons of mango are exported, of which, 94% is unbranded and traded
across the Chinese border. The remaining share is exported to medium-high value markets in the Middle East, Russia, Asia-Pacific, and North America.

Mango Business School is an initiative of the component “Strengthening the Mango Value Chain In The Mekong Delta”. The purpose of Mango Business School is to increase the knowledge capacity of key staffs of cooperatives, companies, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and other actors in the mango value chain.

A more efficient, environmentally friendly and internationally competitive agricultural sector is required to improve exportation of mango products from Vietnam. Global and domestic demand for mango and other tropical fruits has increased due to a change in consumer diets and an increase in disposable income. Consumers are willing to pay premium prices for high quality fruits. This allows for the potential for uptake of innovation to improve the mango value chain and boost exports of fresh and value-added
products.

Agrico’s potato varieties showing strong performance in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

This year’s main potato production season is coming to an end in Vietnam, and we can look back at a very good and successful season. Newly registered potato varieties of Agrico are showing excellent performance from the Central Highlands to the Red River Delta and Northern highlands. Farmers are very happy and eager to expand their potato production area for their next potato crop. Rene van Rensen (Managing Partner / R&D Director Crops) could see the latest results during his current visit to Vietnam.

Farmers in Son La (North Vietnam) are very happy with their potato crop and informed they never grew a potato variety with such good performance. Making the farmers even more happy is that they can sell their potatoes for a very good price. Especially when they see the cabbage prices at an all-time low this week (VND 1,000 per kg), the other main vegetable crop in Son La. With these good results they are eager to grow more potato next season and diversify their production from mainly growing cabbage.

Visiting farmers in Son La province

Also in in the Red River Delta and the Central Highlands farmers are very satisfied with their potato crop this year. Of course with varieties from Agrico!

Good result with potato crop in the Red River Delta

These results are all spinoffs from the successful ProPoor potato project. One of the activities in the project was the testing, selection and official registration of these stronger, higher yielding and better-quality potato varieties. Besides the extensive field testing, Fresh Studio also tested with consumers which potato varieties they preferred. This to ensure a win-win in production and sales. The demand for potatoes in urban Vietnam is growing, mostly used as a “vegetable” in soups. Instead of importing fresh potatoes from other countries, potatoes offer farmers in Vietnam a good opportunity to increase their income. In 2001, Vietnam just imported fresh potatoes for a value of just US$ 0.3 mln . By 2019 this number had grown to US$ 108 mln and 120,000 tons (6,000 containers).

For more information regarding the project contact:

René van Rensen

Managing Partner / R&D Director Crops

Fresh Studio

rene.van.rensen@freshstudio.vn

Irrigation efficiency and water use-efficiency in crops production

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

2021 April 16-17th Ho Chi Minh City

Twenty professors and researchers from universities, DARDs, TVET and research institutes will participate in a two-day training entitled “Irrigation efficiency and water use-efficiency in crops production”. This is one of several pieces of training offered by the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) Project “Towards a climate resilient nursery sector and value chains in the Mekong Delta through capacity building in the educational and government sectors”.

OKP project is A Dutch-Vietnamese knowledge partnership project to promote the development of a climate resilient nursery sector & value chains in An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Soc Trang, Tien Giang and Vinh Long, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands and managed by NUFFIC. This project introduces scalable water technology pilots for the aquaculture and horticulture sectors to develop climate-smart value chains. The project international partners including AERES University, HAS University, Fresh Studio Innovations Asia and Nong Lam University work with local governments and educational institutions to enhance capacity so that adaptations to cope with transformation in the MD can be accelerated at the local level.

The main outcomes of the projects are :

  • Improved capacity of trainers and teachers, upgraded curricula and training materials applying interactive multi-disciplinary approaches in higher education (HE) and technical vocational education and training (TVET).
  • Establishment of an indoor nursery R&D facility for Pangasius to pre-nurse robust juveniles which deliver higher yields, and thereby added value to local farmers.
  • Enhanced knowledge & capacity on integrated adaptation strategies, climate smart agriculture (CSA) and efficient water management themes of support organizations within aquaculture & horticulture value chains

“The Netherland- Vietnam Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPAs) focus on technology and knowledge transfer in climate change, water management, sustainable agriculture and food security; the focus themes of this project. The Mekong Delta Agricultural Transformation Plan (MD-ATP) and VN Government Resolution 120 endorse agricultural transition toward vertically integrated value chains and a shift to modern agro-business specialization. The OKP NUFFIC project contributes directly to realize this vision through the transfer of essential technology, knowledge, and skills, “ said Mr. Willem Schoustra, Agriculture Counsellor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam

The supply of fruits and vegetables in the MD still cannot meet the increasing demand domestically and abroad. According to the World Bank (2016), the fruit demand in Vietnam will increase from 5 million tons by 2009 to 7 million tons by 2030. Vietnamese exports of fruit show ongoing growth. The capacity to produce diversified fruit types is an advantage of Vietnamese fruit when penetrating the world market.

In addition, the participation of Vietnam in trade agreements (CPTPP and EVFTA) brings great market potential for processed fruits due to big and rapid tax reduction commitments by member countries, especially compared to fresh and raw products. Freshwater supply, suboptimal groundwater tables and reducing agricultural lands due to salinity intrusion and rising sea levels has strong impacts on fruits & vegetables production in the MD. This requires efficient and climate smart water management strategies.

One of the most effective means to conserve water appears to be through carefully managed deficit irrigation strategies that are supported by advanced irrigation systems. Implementation of crop location strategies, conversion to crops with higher economic value or productivity per unit of water consumed, and adoption of drought‐ and/or salt-tolerant crops are discussed in academic research, however these strategies are still very limited in practice. This project will focus on filling this gap. Technical trainings on water quality management and irrigation efficiency for agricultural value chains will be developed and contextualized to close the gap between theory and practices.

Please see attached brochure for more information about the project.Download

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