Experimentally optimized planting conditions for improved productivity, high quality, and environmentally friendly rice farming in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
14/09/21 08:22AM
Takeo Matsubara, Thanh Truong Chi, Hieu Ngo Quang, et al. Eco-Engineering, 33: 51-59, 2021.
Abstract: This research examines sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam to improve rice production technology in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam is the third-largest rice export country worldwide, exporting 6-7 million tons of rice annually. Our survey on rice cultivation mechanization in the Mekong Delta revealed the sowing process as the most undeveloped step among the rice production processes. Among rice sowing methods currently used in the Mekong Delta, manual direct seeding (broadcasting) and manual row sowing by a drum seeder are most commonly performed, while transplanting remains a minor sowing method. In this study, we focused on three points to improve the rice production of this area. First, we conducted an economic evaluation of different sowing methods and found a clear financial advantage to machine transplanting compared with manual direct seeding and manual transplanting. Second, we investigated a suitable transplanting density and fertilizer volume with a popular short duration rice variety and found that high-density planting tends to produce a higher yield. Third, we approached the challenge of achieving sustainable agriculture by applying and plowing rice straw into a paddy field with Trichoderma supplements just after rice harvesting to produce fertile soil or quick organic compost. This study provides crucial information for optimal rice-farming conditions in one of the worldʼs top rice-exporting countries, potentially impacting the agriculture of this area, with global implications.
