Binh Phuoc: Towards high-tech agriculture

Currently, the application of science and technology (S&T) in agricultural production to create high-tech agricultural products is considered an inevitable direction that brings high economic efficiency. On the other hand, high-tech agriculture also helps farmers to be proactive in production, reducing dependence on weather and climate.

Save cost and labor

The hydroponic vegetable growing model of Mr. Hua Minh Chuc's family in village 4, Doan Ket commune, Bu Dang district is one of the proofs that high-tech agriculture brings outstanding economic efficiency.

With an area of 6 sao of greenhouse, Mr. Chuc's family grows 5 types of vegetables and lettuce. Every day, his family harvests more than 30kg of clean vegetables to supply to people in the commune. Mr. Chuc shared that growing hydroponic vegetables does not require as much care as growing vegetables in soil, can be done continuously, and does not require renovating the soil. After each harvest, just clean the water troughs and you can plant another batch, without interrupting the production process.

To help plants grow stably, Mr. Hua Minh Chuc uses a pen to check every day to promptly pump nutrients to feed the plants.

Each type of vegetable will have a different growth cycle and harvest time, but the common point of vegetables grown in greenhouses is that they are less susceptible to pests and diseases. The time from planting cabbage on the tray to harvesting is about 30-35 days, while lettuce takes longer, 50 days. According to Mr. Chuc, after about 15 days of incubation, the vegetables can be separated and placed on the trellis for care according to the process. Currently, his family's self-cultivation of vegetables has achieved a rate of more than 90%.

Every day, Mr. Chuc's family has more than 30kg of various hydroponic vegetables to supply to local people.

To keep the vegetable plants growing steadily, the nutrients must be checked every day with a test pen. If the nutrients in the water are low or insufficient, the gardener will proactively supply the nutrient water through hydroponic pipes to feed the plants. Mr. Chuc said: “The initial investment cost is a bit high, but in the long run, it is very effective. Hydroponic vegetables can be grown all year round. In the rainy season, vegetables grown in soil are often crushed and waterlogged, but hydroponic vegetables still grow well in greenhouses and have a higher selling price.”

The hydroponic vegetable growing model uses an automatic hydroponic solution pump system to provide nutrients to plants in a circular manner. When applying this model, nutrients will be circulated by hydroponic tubes to each plant, creating conditions for the plants to grow and develop best. In recent times, this model has been applied by many families and agricultural businesses in the province to provide clean vegetables for people.

Vice President of the Women's Union of Doan Ket Commune, Dinh Thi My Duyen, shared: The hydroponic vegetable growing model of Mr. Chuc's family was chosen as a high-tech agricultural model in the locality to introduce and replicate for women members in the commune to visit and learn from. With this growing method, the vegetable plants do not directly come into contact with pesticides, so the products are clean, safe for food hygiene, and protect the health of consumers.

Increase sustainable value

This year, the nearly 3-hectare durian garden of Mr. Hua Van Cong's family in village 4, Doan Ket commune, has begun to yield nearly 10 tons. With the garden price of 80-82 thousand VND/kg, Mr. Cong's family has made a profit.

Investing 100 million VND in a solar energy system, Mr. Cong's family saved on electricity costs in the process of irrigating the durian garden. In addition, he also invested in an automatic irrigation system. Accordingly, each durian tree will have at least 2 sprinklers. In addition to providing irrigation water, this system is also used to periodically fertilize the trees. Talking about the benefits of science and technology in agricultural production, Mr. Cong said: Traditional farming requires 2-3 workers to water and take care of the durian garden, but applying science and technology and installing an automatic irrigation system, the garden owner only needs one operation to water the entire durian garden.

Investing in solar energy systems and automatic irrigation systems has helped Mr. Hua Van Cong save labor and move towards sustainable production.

Compared to traditional farming, Mr. Cong realized that using science and technology has many outstanding advantages. As long as there is an internet connection, the garden owner can take care of the garden by remote control via smartphone without having to be present in the garden. Using solar energy and an automatic irrigation system helps Mr. Cong's family save maximum care costs. Mr. Cong shared: Previously, the family had to buy diesel for the engine, which cost several million VND/month, but with solar energy, the electricity source can serve agricultural production and daily life comfortably. A one-time investment can be used for 10-20 years.

In practice, the application of science and technology in production contributes to promoting agricultural development and increasing farmers' income. At the same time, reducing the use of pesticides contributes to environmental protection and adaptation to climate change, improving the quality of agricultural products, ensuring food safety, and moving towards sustainable agricultural development.

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