“Blooming” medicinal herbs - A promising direction for Sa Dec Flower Village

DTO - Sa Dec is known as the famous "capital of ornamental flowers" in the West, brilliantly beautiful with a myriad of flower colors, cultivated by the talented hands of farmers. However, in recent years, as market demand has become increasingly strict, consumers have demanded more about the difference, the value of ornamental flower products cannot stop at the "beauty" factor. Therefore, in that context, the topic "Research on breeding techniques and potted planting of some ornamental medicinal plants in Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province" by the Center for Inspection and Testing of Dong Thap Province, under the Department of Science and Technology (KH&CN) opens up a new and promising direction, when flowers are not only for viewing, but also contribute to health care, creating more value and "boost" for the local ornamental flower industry.

Every year, Dong Thap Province Inspection and Testing Center provides about 250,000 - 300,000 high-quality seedlings to farmers in Sa Dec Flower Village: including many ornamental flower varieties with high economic value that are popular in the market such as: lotus crocus, gerbera daisy, mini daisy, raspberry daisy, youth pothos...

When flowers have medicinal properties - Enhancing the value of ornamental flowers

The implementation of the project “Research on propagation techniques and potted cultivation of some medicinal plants for ornamental purposes in Sa Dec City” is extremely necessary in the context that Sa Dec Flower Village is looking for new ornamental flower varieties with high economic value, improving competitiveness in the market. Finding unique, multi-purpose products is the “key” to maintaining its position and creating new breakthroughs.

The three types of plants selected by the Dong Thap Province Testing and Inspection Center for the study are yellow chrysanthemum (chrysanthemum), honeysuckle and lotus turmeric - which are precious medicinal herbs with beautiful shapes, easy to grow and have many health benefits. With the diligence of the research team, these three plant varieties were successfully domesticated, propagated and grown well in the climate and soil conditions of Sa Dec City.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Phuong, Dong Thap Province Inspection and Testing Center - Head of the project "Research on propagation techniques and potted planting of some ornamental medicinal plants in Sa Dec City" said: "We have developed 3 standard propagation processes for medicinal plants from outside the province. In particular, chrysanthemum and lotus are propagated by tissue culture, while honeysuckle is propagated by cuttings. These methods help create a source of disease-free, uniform seeds, ready for widespread production".

In particular, the tissue culture method for lotus turmeric has overcome the problem of propagation from tubers with low multiplication coefficient and easy degeneration of the variety - a major problem in mass production. Not only is propagation effective, the research team also established a technical process for potted planting from substrate, fertilizer, watering regime to light suitable for each plant species, helping to transform medicinal plants into real ornamental products, ensuring the plants grow well and fully develop their inherent beauty.

Initially, the products from the project showed clear economic potential. The selling price of each pot of lotus turmeric ranges from 80,000 - 120,000 VND, sometimes up to 190,000 VND. According to calculations, the profit margin for chrysanthemum is more than 42%, for honeysuckle it is 50% and especially lotus turmeric reaches 120%. These figures show the outstanding economic value that ornamental medicinal plants bring compared to common ornamental flowers.

Regarding the market prospects for lotus crocus and some new medicinal ornamental flower varieties that have just been successfully researched by the Dong Thap Provincial Testing and Inspection Center for propagation and potting techniques, Mr. Nguyen Van Hien - an ornamental flower trader in Sa Dec City commented: “Lotus crocus is a new flower variety that has recently appeared in Sa Dec Flower Village. This flower is not only beautiful and attractive in appearance, the plant also has medicinal properties, so flower players really like it. I think that the Dong Thap Provincial Testing and Inspection Center's success in researching propagation and potting techniques for lotus crocus and some other medicinal ornamental flower varieties will be a very promising direction in helping farmers in the Flower Village diversify their ornamental flower varieties, meeting the diverse consumption needs of flower players”.

Although it has only recently appeared on the market, lotus flowers with eye-catching colors are popular with many people.

The key to clean seeds and standard processes - Expanding the value chain

The outstanding advantage of the topic "Research on propagation techniques and potted planting of some ornamental medicinal plants in Sa Dec City" is not only to create new ornamental flower products, but also to open up the possibility of supplying medicinal plant varieties for the production of pharmaceutical raw materials to a wider market. To ensure applicability and replicability, Dong Thap Inspection and Testing Center has quickly standardized the process, compiled a technical manual, organized practical training, and prepared seed sources for transfer to households, cooperatives and guilds. This shows the careful preparation and long-term vision of the topic.

Mr. Tran Van Nhan - Deputy Director of Dong Thap Inspection and Testing Center affirmed: "If the research is only on paper, it is a waste. The Center is determined to accompany the people throughout, from theory to practice and even the stage of checking the effectiveness after implementation. At the same time, we are also promoting the procedures for registering varieties and announcing circulation in accordance with regulations". This commitment creates strong confidence for farmers when participating in the new model.

A new direction that the Center is also implementing is testing the active ingredients of medicinal plants when grown on Sa Dec soil, comparing with raw material areas outside the province to position local advantages. Thereby, not only stopping at ornamental flower products, but also opening up the possibility of extracting medicinal herbs, gradually perfecting the value chain, from seed production, ornamental planting to medicinal herb extraction, creating diverse products and higher added value.

The topic “Research on propagation techniques and potted cultivation of some medicinal plants for ornamental purposes in Sa Dec City” is not only the crystallization of scientific knowledge, but also the answer to the need to innovate the model of ornamental flower production in Sa Dec - where the product must have a “story to tell” to the market, meeting the tastes of today’s consumers that are both beautiful and useful. At the same time, it demonstrates the acumen in grasping market trends and the ability to turn scientific ideas into specific economic values.

Although more time is needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness, it is clear that bringing medicinal herbs to “bloom” in Sa Dec Flower Village is a promising direction. Not only does it contribute to increasing the value of ornamental flower products, but it also demonstrates a new way of thinking in modern agricultural practices, when the locality knows how to take advantage of local advantages, keep up with market trends and, in particular, closely link science - production - market.

Dong Thap Province Inspection and Testing Center successfully tested growing yellow chrysanthemums in pots in Sa Dec City.

Ms. Nguyen Lam Thanh Thuy - Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Dong Thap province emphasized: "We always encourage topics with high applicability and specific transfer plans. New varieties, especially ornamental flower varieties with medicinal value, are a long-term direction to increase the competitiveness of the province's key industries".

In the context of the market increasingly demanding differences, the topic "Research on techniques for propagating and growing medicinal plants in pots for ornamental purposes" shows that Sa Dec is proactively renewing itself, not only preserving the title of "Flower Village" but also taking a step forward on the path of combining science, identity and market. Flowers are not only for viewing, but also the "key" to open the door to new values ​​for Dong Thap agriculture.

My Ly

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/kinh-te/duoc-lieu-no-hoa-huong-di-trien-vong-cho-lang-hoa-sa-dec-132425.aspx