Diversification of crops and reduction of input material consumption

The 10-year collaborative strategy (2017-2027) signed between the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) identifies the Central Highlands as one of the priority areas for research investment and development Agricultural and forestry techniques.

The Central Highlands is a specialized coffee and pepper growing area in Vietnam, accounting for 88% and 63% respectively. However, if you look at the situation, the area under coffee and pepper cultivation increased rapidly, people opened up massive areas on unsuitable soil and terrain, thus disturbing the ecological balance.

dr Phan Viet Ha, deputy director of the Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science and Technology Institute (WASI), shared: “So far, coffee and pepper have developed quite well and we have mastered many techniques in them. However, there are still some long-term challenges like the problem of underground pests and diseases in coffee and pepper that we haven’t really addressed.”

The WASI representative also pointed out some shortcomings in coffee and pepper cultivation, such as challenges posed by climate change and future labor shortages. In addition, after a long cultivation period, the soil becomes degraded (acidic soil, loss of organic matter, loss of soil texture, loss of nutrients), affecting soil health and resulting in poor, low and precarious harvest yields…

Since then, the Project to Improve the Sustainability, Productivity and Economic Value of the Coffee and Pepper Value Chain Cultivation System in the Central Highlands Region (V-SCOPE Project) was launched with a desire to overcome the deficiencies in the unsustainable production system of Coffee and Pepper in the Central Highlands.

The project seeks guidance on using biological and eco-friendly methods to control pests and diseases in soil, reduce input costs, improve production efficiencies, and link active ingredients to improve production chain and product value.

MSc Chau Thi Minh Long, Deputy Head of Department of Agricultural Systems at WASI Institute said, with 4 experiments measuring nutrient leaching and 30 experiments on soil remediation using lime and biochar in agriculture. For coffee and pepper, the first results show that this study will form the basis for proposing useful fertilizers for crops in order to save inputs and protect the environment.

In the context of the project, the conversion from intensive farming to mixed cultivation of coffee, pepper and fruit trees has shown some positive results such as higher plant densities, higher overall yields and higher yields. At the same time, profitability and adaptability increase.

Through an experiment to measure the water needs of coffee plants using SAP-FLOW technology, the avocado mixed-culture coffee model uses approximately 30% less irrigation water than the coffee monoculture model. It is now possible to reduce the amount of water used for irrigation from 400 litres/plant/season (according to high recommendations) to 250 litres/plant/season as there is no difference in transpiration and coffee yield.

In the project areas, the quality of the inputs (fertilizers) is the biggest problem for the farmers. However, up to 53% of farmers have difficulty distinguishing between fertilizer and fertilizer quality. Therefore, the project is also working with a pilot design partner to improve the supply of input materials.

Project funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); The International Agro-Forestry Research Organization (ICRAF) in Vietnam, the French Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD) together with research partners and private partners.

The project will be implemented in the three provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Gia Lai in the period 2021-2025 with the participation of almost 300 coffee and pepper farmers.

Applying technology to implement precision farming

In the coffee garden of Mr. Do Van Anh in Tan Phu Village, Ea Toh Township, Krong Nang District, Dak Lak, V-SCOPE project experimented to study the water demand of coffee plants using the SAP measurement technique – FLOW (the technology for measuring the sap flow). ).

One of the biggest challenges today is climate change and the lack of irrigation water in the dry season for coffee and pepper. In Vietnam, there have been numerous studies on irrigation and technical procedures in the past, which resulted in recommendations that were relatively in line with practice. However, said Dr. Phan Viet Ha that with the increasingly harsh conditions, we need to conduct improvement studies and set thresholds that can save more water for irrigation.

“This research activity is one of the main research activities in the ACIAR-funded V-SCOPE project. With this activity, we are targeting a very serious and important challenge for agriculture in the Central Highlands in the present and in the years to come, namely the issue of irrigation water,” said Mr. Ha.

Experiments fed into the tree sap flow measurement system calculate the exact amount of water the plants use at different times. Based on this, certain calculations can be made and irrigation decided, nearly reducing water losses during the dry season, consistent with precision farming practices.

according to dr Phan Viet Ha, the experiment includes many devices in the system, such as a device to measure tree sap flow, coupled with a garden microclimate system to handle the correlation. The system for measuring tree sap flow is quite expensive, around $4,000-$5,000, but with the system for measuring microclimate conditions, it is quite cheap, around less than $1,000. After completing the studies, the production recommendation only needs to use the research results of the experiment and the data from the weather stations to be able to make accurate decisions on irrigation.

These experiments were conducted by experts from ICRAF, CIRAD and the Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science and Technology Institute. Using the sensor system, the control center system connects the line to the sensors that measure the sap flow through each tree trunk, and the data is sent via cloud technology to the processing unit, from which the experts can process statistics and make various irrigation decisions.

Explaining the importance of microclimate gauges, Nguyen Quang Tan, national coordinator of the International Agroforestry Research Organization (ICRAF), said meteorological stations measuring microweather are closed, allowing for more accurate recommendations on the amount of water for irrigation and production for each area and region admit.

“The future of national hydro-meteorological services will provide guiding scenarios for planning weather and climate services, helping farmers to make cropping, irrigation and care choices. The plants are suitable for the local weather,” said Mr. Tan.

Homeowner Do Van Anh evaluated the effectiveness of the experiment and shared that if he previously watered his garden according to his senses and he saw that the soil was dry, irrigation can now be used more rationally, which has saved money. cost savings. In addition, the interim cultivation of coffee, pepper and fruit trees leads to lower input costs with less fertilizer use and helps him to avoid income risks when coffee prices fluctuate.