The pilot model in Chieng Sai was selected on a scale of 2.6 hectares with an average slope of more than 260. Syngenta Vietnam Co., Ltd. provided corn seeds, fertilizers and Guinea grass seeds, and also provided advice and guidance on sustainable corn cultivation techniques on sloping land. This model also implemented control areas with three methods: Traditional method, combination of traditional and sustainable methods and completely applying sustainable corn cultivation methods according to the Company's instructions, to compare and evaluate the effectiveness clearly.
Mr. Lo Van Ngoc, Nhem village, Chieng Sai commune, shared: His family grows specialized corn of the NK6253 variety on sloping land, in which the control area completely applies Syngenta Vietnam's sustainable corn cultivation method for the highest yield and quality. This method intercrops corn with Guinea grass, a perennial grass with cluster roots, drought-resistant, in the shape of crocodile teeth, about 10 m apart, 20-30 cm wide, accounting for 7% of the area, helping to retain soil, retain moisture, and prevent erosion. As a result, corn yield increased by more than 5 tons compared to traditional farming, at the same time, the grass harvested is used as feed for large livestock, increasing income.
In Chieng Sung commune, Ms. Luong Thi Tien's family also participated in the pilot model of sustainable corn cultivation on 2 hectares, of which nearly 1 hectare was planted and cared for using traditional methods for control and more than 1 hectare applied Syngenta's grass strip formula. Ms. Tien said: After a year of implementing the model, the most impressive thing is that the limitation of landslides and soil erosion, along with proper fertilization, has contributed to increasing corn productivity, bringing economic efficiency up to 67.5% compared to the traditional method, not to mention the benefit of 20-30 tons of grass/ha used as animal feed.
The practical application of the sustainable corn cultivation model has proven its outstanding effectiveness through the control areas. Corn yield in the area applying the entire Syngenta solution reached 9.54 tons/ha, an increase of 51.7% compared to 6.29 tons/ha of the traditional cultivation area and higher than 7.37 tons/ha of the area combining grass strips with old practices. In particular, the two areas with grass strips have retained 10.1 - 13.3 tons of soil/ha, overcoming the serious erosion in the control area.
Mr. Bui Van Son, Director of Agronomy, Syngenta Vietnam Co., Ltd., shared: To apply the sustainable corn farming model on sloping land, in addition to investing in corn seeds and fertilizers, households need to initially invest about 5 million VND/ha for Guinea grass. This is a completely reasonable and long-term economic investment, because the grass can regenerate, propagate and be harvested for up to 10 years, saving costs in the long run and bringing about clear results in sustainable farming.
Through the practical results and outstanding efficiency of the sustainable corn farming model on sloping land that has been evaluated, Syngenta Vietnam Co., Ltd. and the Institute of Soil and Fertilizers have coordinated with the communes of Huoi Mot, Phieng Pan, and To Mua to continue expanding the model, creating a widespread network of sustainable farming practices on sloping land, contributing to raising farmers' awareness of soil health, aiming at the dual goal of stabilizing people's livelihoods. At the same time, protecting the environment and land resources in a sustainable manner.
With the core philosophy of “If you want to keep the plants, you must first keep the soil”, the sustainable corn cultivation models using Guinea grass strips have created a fundamental change in the farming practices of the highland people. Farmers have paid attention to productivity, focused on the “health” of the land, aiming for long-term and sustainable cultivation, and environmental protection.
Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/canh-tac-ngo-ben-vung-tren-dat-doc-08EjKUzDR.html
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