Visiting the high-quality rice cultivation model in A Lưới.

Growing new, high-quality rice is not difficult.

Ms. Kan Nhu from Quang Nham commune was overjoyed, saying that never before had the people of the mountainous Quang Nham experienced such a bountiful harvest as this year's summer-autumn crop. The people received support from the government in the form of fertilizer and high-quality rice seeds, resulting in not only high yields but also excellent product quality. The cooked rice was fragrant, soft, and sticky. After harvesting, traders came directly to the fields to buy the rice, with fresh rice fetching over 7,000 VND/kg, and sun-dried rice selling for nearly 9,000 VND/kg.

Regarding the production process, Ms. Kăn Nhu said that the techniques for planting and caring for the HN6 rice variety are not much different from other rice varieties. During the production process, farmers also receive technical guidance from agricultural extension officers following the "hands-on" approach. Initially, they were a bit confused, but later they realized that producing high-quality new rice varieties like HN6 was quite easy. The rice grows very quickly, flowers early, and minimizes the growth period, allowing for timely harvesting before the rainy season.

According to Mr. Phan Anh, Deputy Director of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in recent years, the center has implemented many new rice cultivation models, such as applying the "three reductions, three increases" farming method (including IPM) to rice crops. The model applies promising new rice varieties with high yield and quality, such as HN6, DT100, JO2, HG12, etc., contributing to improving the yield and quality of paddy rice in A Luoi. These rice varieties are well-adapted to the soil and climate of A Luoi, have high pest and disease resistance, low susceptibility to blast disease, and produce high-quality, fragrant rice that is easily marketable.

For the 2024 summer-autumn crop season, the Agricultural Extension Center continued to develop a high-quality rice cultivation model in Quang Nham and Son Thuy communes, covering an area of ​​15 hectares. Specifically, the HN6 variety was planted in Quang Nham commune and the HG244 variety in Son Thuy commune. The model aims to help rice farmers in A Luoi district change their perceptions, practices, and rice production techniques, shifting from manual methods to new methods that incorporate advanced intensive farming techniques. This will shorten the rice growing period in A Luoi district, align with the province's general planting schedule, ensure harvesting is completed before the rainy season, and minimize losses.

Transforming production practices

Through this model, agricultural extension officers trained and introduced farmers to the characteristics of the HG244 and HN6 rice varieties, as well as the technical production process. Farmers in A Luoi participated in discussions about local production conditions and farming practices. Based on this, they adjusted their processes accordingly to maximize existing potential, overcome existing difficulties, and ensure good rice growth, yield, and quality. Early season rains affected some newly sown rice fields, killing seeds and causing uneven germination. However, farmers actively cared for and thinned the plants early, ensuring good growth and development of the rice plants.

Mr. Phan Anh assessed that, this summer-autumn crop season, Son Thuy commune prioritized water resources for the model area, ensuring sufficient water for land preparation, sowing, and the favorable growth of rice plants. In Quang Nham commune, there is an irrigation system, with both natural water flow and readily available pumps, but due to the sloping terrain, water supply is insufficient. At the beginning of the season, when the water source is blocked, there is no water in the fields, leading to drought. Towards the end of the season, the fields are flooded and cannot drain properly for harvesting.

Overall, the farmers participating in the model performed well in all stages of work according to the guidance of technical staff, creating favorable conditions for the rice plants to grow and develop well. They did well in everything from soaking and germinating seeds correctly to applying fertilizer at the right time, thinning out seedlings promptly, cleaning the fields, removing weeds, and controlling pests and diseases according to instructions… From the results of the models, it can be affirmed that the HG244 and HN6 rice varieties are suitable for planting in the summer-autumn season in A Lưới, ensuring factors such as growth duration and yield. These rice varieties have a longer growth period than when planted in the lowlands, by 7-10 days.

To maximize the potential of the locality and improve the economic efficiency for rice farmers, A Luoi district and other localities and departments need to implement support policies to improve the production skills and expertise of the people. In particular, it is necessary to promote the application of scientific and technical advancements in production, such as adopting new rice varieties with high yield and quality potential, short growing seasons, and suitability to local farming conditions. Localities should promote and encourage a shift from small-scale, fragmented production practices to cooperative and collaborative production, aiming to establish concentrated, contiguous areas using the same rice varieties with similar growing seasons, and increasing mechanization in production.

Text and photos: Hoang The