Secrets to growing sweet potatoes that increase profits by nearly three times.

By using Eco-Nanomix fertilizer technology, farmers in Gia Lai province harvested 28 tons/ha of sweet potatoes in the 2024 crop year; the profit margin was 2.7 times higher compared to fields fertilized using conventional methods.

In 2023, through a friend's recommendation, Mr. Nguyen Van Sang (Phu Hoa town, Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province) tried and combined the use of Eco-Nanomix New Generation NPK fertilizer technology for 1 hectare of sweet potato plants.

Sweet potato farming profits increased nearly threefold thanks to the use of new generation NPK fertilizers with Eco-Nanomix technology. Photo: Quoc Viet

Mr. Sang uses a variety of Japanese sweet potato with yellow flesh, grown on hillside orchards (light loam soil) where there is a water source for irrigation during the dry season. The sweet potatoes are intercropped in 1-2 year old rubber plantations, using a drip irrigation system.

Sang's sweet potato farming model uses the new generation NPK fertilizer with Eco-Nanomix technology, applying it at the dosage and timing as instructed by the technical staff of Binh Dinh Agricultural Technical Supplies Joint Stock Company. To test the effectiveness of this new fertilizer technology, Sang, along with the technical staff of Binh Dinh Agricultural Technical Supplies Joint Stock Company, established a control plot.

In both the model and control fields, pre-planting base fertilizers consisted of 400 kg of microbial organic fertilizer (expanded organic fertilizer) and 400 kg of phosphorus fertilizer.

During cultivation, the model plot used 1,450 kg of NPK Eco-Nanomix fertilizer specifically for sweet potatoes (NPK 16-6-18 + 1 Mg + TE Nano), applied 3-4 times. Meanwhile, the control plot also used 1,200 kg of NPK 16-16-8 fertilizer and 250 kg of potassium fertilizer. The fertilizer investment costs were assessed to be the same.

The costs of seeds, fertilizers, growth stimulants, pesticides, land preparation, labor, and water-saving systems are the same, with an investment of 127.8 million VND/ha.

After 5 months of planting, the yield of commercial sweet potatoes in the model field was 27 tons/ha, 6 tons/ha higher than the control group (a 28.6% increase). With the price of commercial sweet potatoes in 2023 at only 10,000 VND/ kg (lower than previous years), the net profit reached 142.285 million VND/ha, an increase of 60.085 million VND/ha compared to the control group, a 73.1% increase; the profit margin was 1.1 times.

Sweet potato fields on land planted with 1-2 year old rubber trees. Photo: Tuan Duy

The fact that the model used only one type of fertilizer for topdressing (NPK 16-6-18 + 1Mg + TE Nano), while the control used two types of fertilizer (NPK 16-16-8 and single potassium fertilizer), shows convenience and higher economic efficiency.

Based on that success, in the 2024 sweet potato crop, Mr. Sang applied specialized NPK Nano fertilizer for sweet potatoes on an area of ​​11 hectares, also on land of 1-2 year old rubber trees. Thanks to his production experience and adherence to the use of NPK Nano fertilizer, the yield of commercial tubers this season reached 28 tons/ha, an increase of 6.5 tons/ha compared to conventional production.

This year's sweet potato crop was both bountiful and fetched good prices, resulting in a net profit of 348.285 million VND/ha, exceeding the profit from conventional production by 110.585 million VND/ha, representing a 46.5% increase. Notably, the profit margin was 2.7 times compared to only 1.9 times for conventional production (meaning that for every 1 VND invested, 1.9 VND was earned in profit).

Also in 2024, besides Chu Pah district, other areas such as Chu Prong, Phu Thien, Mang Yang districts… in Gia Lai province also used this fertilizer for sweet potato crops.

A representative from Binh Dinh Agricultural Technical Supplies Joint Stock Company stated that the amount of fertilizer the company has supplied to farmers has increased many times compared to the previous year. Farmers have gradually started using specialized NPK Nano fertilizers in sweet potato growing areas in Gia Lai province.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast, said that New Sun Fertilizer has tested a new generation of specialized fertilizers using Eco-Nanomix technology and tested the optimal timing and dosage of application, resulting in good outcomes.

Sweet potatoes yield high productivity thanks to new generation fertilizers. Photo: Quoc Viet.

Thanks to its composition and content of N, P, K, Mg, and sufficient trace elements in nano form, sweet potato plants grow vigorously, increasing their resistance to unfavorable weather conditions and enhancing their immunity to pests and diseases. This leads to larger, faster-growing tubers, uniformly sized tubers, and higher potassium content, resulting in greater sugar and starch accumulation… increasing yield, improving the quality of marketable tubers, and shortening the harvesting time.

"Based on the effectiveness of the previous crop, in the 2024 sweet potato crop, farmers have gained confidence and adopted it for mass production, achieving a commercial tuber yield of 28 tons/ha, an increase of 30.2%, and a net profit increase of 46.5% compared to using NPK fertilizers and other single fertilizers. From here, the specialized sweet potato growing area in Gia Lai province now has a specialized fertilizer that is economically efficient and reduces CO2 greenhouse gas emissions," Dr. Phuong shared.

Source: https://danviet.vn/bi-quyet-trong-khoai-lang-giup-loi-nhuan-tang-gan-3-lan-20241029164350983.htm