Tra Vinh University has successfully researched wax coconut varieties using tissue culture technology. This is the first research in Vietnam on coconut tissue culture, especially wax coconut, which has been highly appreciated by experts from the Acceptance Council of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Professor, Dr. Pham Tiet Khanh, Chairman of the Council of Tra Vinh University, said that according to calculations, when introduced to the market, tissue-cultured wax coconut will cost less than 100,000 VND/seedling, while the current embryo-cultured wax coconut variety costs from 700,000 - 1,200,000 VND/tree depending on the place of production. At the University, embryo-cultured wax coconut varieties cost from 700,000 - 800,000 VND/tree depending on the quantity ordered. Therefore, when tissue-cultured coconut varieties are commercialized, gardeners will significantly reduce the cost of seedlings, along with a source of quality-assured seedlings, meeting the requirements of the export market.
Tra Vinh Provincial Party Secretary Ngo Chi Cuong informed that after rice, coconut is the province's strong crop thanks to its adaptation to climate change, tolerance to drought, salinity, rain, storms, etc. Currently, the province is focusing on many solutions to increase the value of the coconut industry, especially wax coconut - the type of coconut that occupies a "unique" position, the "king" of specialties of the province.
Along with planning planting areas, encouraging gardeners to renovate low-yield aging wax coconut gardens, the province promotes trade promotion activities, develops links between businesses and growers to tighten the links from production, deep processing to consumption, aiming for export. The province coordinates with the Ministry of Science and Technology to cooperate with scientists in Japan and Korea to study the feasibility of using wax coconut in the fields of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Mr. Ngo Chi Cuong requested that Tra Vinh University accelerate the research progress, estimate specific funding sources to complete and implement necessary steps to commercialize wax coconut propagation using tissue culture technology for the province to arrange. During the research process, the university focuses on quality, producing seed sources that ensure standards in weight, size and waxiness.
The successful research will help the province expand the wax coconut growing area, develop specialized areas to ensure quality, and create a concentrated source of raw materials to meet the export market. Gardeners will have access to quality wax coconut seeds at low cost to renovate aging, low-yielding wax coconut gardens, increase production efficiency, improve income, and sustainably develop the wax coconut industry in the province.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Hoa, Rector of Tra Vinh University, said that the project "Research on coconut propagation using cell tissue culture technology and intensive coconut cultivation techniques using tissue culture technology" phase 1 was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the school to implement since 2017.
Tra Vinh University and the research team of the National Key Laboratory of Plant Tissue Culture (Institute of Agricultural Genetics) have created tissue-cultured wax coconut seedlings through the formation of asexual embryos. After 3 years of experimental planting, the trees grew well and began to produce the first wax coconuts that met quality standards. Tra Vinh University continues to conduct research in phase 2 to perfect the process, increase the multiplication coefficient, create high-quality seedlings, and genetically uniform and deploy the production of tissue-cultured wax coconut seedlings on an industrial scale.
Due to genetic characteristics, wax coconut cannot germinate in natural conditions. Therefore, planting seedlings using traditional propagation methods from non-wax coconuts gives a maximum wax coconut fruit rate of 25%/bunch. Tra Vinh University has successfully researched the wax coconut embryo culture process and commercialized it since 2011. Each year, it supplies the market with about 5,000 embryo-cultured wax coconut seedlings with a selling price of 700,000 - 800,000 VND/seedling, the wax fruit rate reaches over 85%/bunch (3 - 4 times higher than traditional varieties). However, due to the high price of seedlings, people have difficulty investing in and renovating coconut gardens.
Tra Vinh currently has 1,277.6 hectares of wax coconut plantations, but the area for planting embryonated coconut seedlings is only about 31 hectares. Therefore, successful propagation will help gardeners boldly renovate old wax coconut gardens to improve production efficiency.
According to Intellectual Property and Innovation
Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/nghien-cuu-thanh-cong-dua-sap-cay-mo/20241006113506649
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