In the context of climate change and harsh natural conditions, developing sustainable and efficient agricultural models is becoming one of the important approaches to improving people's livelihoods.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Truong, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Biology (Vietnam Academy of Agriculture), one of the noteworthy models currently is potato cultivation on sandy loam soil in Ly Nam commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province.
"After conducting trial plantings of 'White' potatoes in several different seasons on sandy soil, the winter-spring crop yielded unexpected results, bringing high income to farmers," Mr. Truong said.
Potato cultivation model on sandy loam soil in Quang Binh province. Photo: T. Phung.
A breakthrough in Quang Binh's agriculture.
The potato cultivation pilot project in the sandy areas of Quang Binh province was led by the Institute of Agricultural Biology, with the An Nong Agricultural Cooperative collaborating with three households to implement the planting, and the project received financial support from KOICA (Korea).
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong, introducing potato varieties to the sunny and windy land of Quang Binh is difficult. Potatoes are mainly grown in the Red River Delta and the northern mountainous regions or the Central Highlands - where the weather is favorable.
“We have conducted trials of various models in different areas of Quang Binh province, at different times, to find the most advantageous planting schedule. That is, the potato crop starts at the end of the year and is harvested at the beginning of the following year. At that time, the weather in Quang Binh is rainy and cold, and when the spring weather warms up, the harvest takes place,” Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong added.
The model was implemented on an area of 1.5 hectares on sandy loam soil, which is often considered difficult to cultivate due to its poor water and nutrient retention capacity. However, thanks to the application of advanced techniques such as soil improvement, the use of appropriate fertilizers, and the selection of adaptable potato varieties, the model has demonstrated the potential of sandy loam soil in agricultural production.
After harvesting, the experimental potato cultivation model on sandy soil yielded an average of about 17 tons/ha. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong observed: "Initial results show that the model not only brings high economic efficiency but also opens up great prospects for local agriculture. It helps farmers change their crop structure, earn higher incomes from their fields, and can be expanded to other localities."
According to Mr. Truong, the model has given farmers a new way of thinking about improving sandy loam soil by adding organic fertilizers and green manure to increase water and nutrient retention. From this model, farmers will proactively rotate crops, introduce organic fertilizers into their fields to improve soil fertility, and reduce pests and diseases in subsequent seasons. Furthermore, the demand for potatoes in Vietnam is growing, especially in the food processing industry. This opens up vast consumption opportunities for local farmers, contributing to the promotion of a sustainable agricultural economy.
Mr. Vo Van Son shared: "Introducing potatoes to sandy soil has opened up a new direction for people to increase their income." Photo: Viet Khanh.
High income for farmers
In the fields outside, next to the wide concrete road in Dong Thanh village, Mr. Vo Van Son's family is harvesting potatoes. During a break, Mr. Son said that this area used to be used for growing cassava as a raw material. Because cassava takes over 9 months to grow before harvesting, only one crop can be grown per year.
In recent years, the KM94 cassava variety that farmers are growing has often been affected by cassava mosaic disease, resulting in low yields and incomes of only 50-60 million VND per hectare, with negligible profits. Mr. Son's family agreed to participate in the model with an area of about 5 sao (500m2/sao). “The production process was facilitated by the project's support in terms of seeds, fertilizers, and production procedures. Growing potatoes wasn't as difficult as traditional crops. For three months, the potatoes grew well, and no pests or diseases were detected, so the farmers were very happy,” Mr. Son shared.
In the field, Mr. Chinh (Mr. Son's son) was driving a tractor, plowing along the rows of potatoes to turn over the soil. After each furrow, plump, round potatoes emerged from the ground, lying exposed on the surface of the field. Mr. Son and several women picked the potatoes and arranged them in rows on the field.
With his land area, Mr. Son quickly calculated that after harvesting, the yield would reach approximately 4.8 tons of tubers. The company's purchase price at the field was 8,500 VND/kg, bringing in over 39 million VND. “After deducting expenses such as seeds and fertilizers, the profit is nearly 20 million VND. This profit is equivalent to planting one hectare of cassava for raw materials. Next season, my family will convert about one hectare of cassava land to potato cultivation to increase income,” Mr. Son said.
Also participating in the winter-spring potato cultivation model, Mr. Vo Van Toan (with nearly one hectare of land) said that in the last months of the year, the cold and mild weather allowed the potatoes to grow well and yield high productivity. “My area produced about 17-18 tons of potatoes. After deducting expenses, I earned about 80 million VND. That's very high compared to other crops,” Mr. Toan shared.
According to Mr. Toan, another benefit for the farmers is that after harvesting the potato crop, they can quickly prepare the land, fertilize, and plant spring-summer watermelons or sow mung beans, sesame, etc. This crop rotation has helped farmers have more crop rotations.
"If we plant cassava, it takes about 9-10 months. While growing potatoes, we rotate with watermelon, beans, sesame, and let the land rest. In this way, on the same plot of land, we have rotated at least three crops, significantly increasing our income, and because we use a lot of fertilizer, the soil is also 'nourished' to increase its fertility," Mr. Toan added.
Many local farmers visited the winter-spring potato farming model to learn from the experience and consider changing their crop structure. Mr. Le Van Tan (from Ly Nam commune) calculated that if farmers planted potatoes on one hectare, then planted melons, and then beans, it would be normal for them to earn hundreds of millions of dong per year from their fields.
Mr. Doan Ngoc Nhan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Nam commune, acknowledged that with the promising results from the 1.5-hectare trial, many experts believe that the potato cultivation model on sandy soil in Quang Binh can be fully replicated in areas with similar natural conditions. "Currently, our locality has 1,200 hectares of sandy soil that can be used to expand the potato cultivation model during the winter-spring season," Mr. Nhan said.
Source: https://nongnghiep.vn/dua-khoai-tay-ve-vung-nang-gio-d743565.html
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