Keeping the soil "healthy"

With a determination to build sustainable agriculture , Thanh Hoa province has implemented specific solutions to mitigate soil degradation and depletion, contributing to the protection and development of beneficial soil ecosystems, adapting to climate change, and enhancing the efficiency and value of agricultural production.

Mr. Truong Ngoc Huy combines soil preparation with the application of organic fertilizer to limit soil degradation and depletion.

Mr. Truong Ngoc Huy, from Hai Long commune (Nhu Thanh district), owns over 1 hectare of various fruit trees including jackfruit, guava, and lychee. He said that in recent years, the fruit trees have grown slower, leading to lower yields. The main reason is soil degradation, which has lost its looseness and fertility. To overcome this, he has built a canal system to bring water for irrigation, applied organic fertilizer and manure from his family's chicken farm, and limited the use of harmful chemicals to restore the soil.

It is known that the cause of soil degradation and depletion is due to the habit of people using a lot of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, which pollute the soil environment, destroy beneficial organisms in the soil, reduce soil porosity, and affect crops and the quality of agricultural products. Currently, the total annual cultivated area of ​​the province reaches nearly 400,000 hectares; however, the proportion of organic fertilizers used in production is only less than 10% of the total amount of fertilizer used, causing a decline in soil fertility.

According to Vu Quang Trung, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Thanh Hoa province: It can be affirmed that Thanh Hoa has taken a step ahead in assessing the current state and orienting the management of soil "health," aiming for sustainable agricultural production. Many projects, plans, mechanisms, and policies for comprehensive production development have been issued by the Provincial People's Committee, creating a favorable environment for the formation of agricultural value chains based on the comparative advantages of each region, locality, and industry. In addition, the province has intensified propaganda efforts to raise community awareness about protecting soil resources. This includes guiding people to use pesticides responsibly to maintain a green and clean environment; and promoting research and application of science and technology in harvesting and processing agricultural products...

To protect the environment, improve soil quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the goal by 2030 is to have the amount of organic fertilizer used in agricultural production reach 300,000 tons/year or more; the entire area of ​​agricultural production meeting organic standards will use 100% organic fertilizer; and at the district level, each major crop will have at least one intensive farming model using organic fertilizer linked to value chain development.

According to Le Tien Dat, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Nhu Xuan District: The quality of land on the district's 15,891.21 hectares of agricultural land (including land for annual and perennial crops) is assessed according to the classification of organic matter content. Poor land accounts for 2,000.38 hectares, medium land for 12,456.00 hectares, and rich land for 1,434.83 hectares. To build a modern agricultural system linked to land restoration and protection, Nhu Xuan is gradually assessing and classifying the suitability of each land type for each type of agricultural land use to rationally arrange suitable crops; strictly adhering to standards and selecting organic fertilizers and microbial pesticides for crop care; widely applying advanced scientific and technical measures, and promoting synchronized mechanization in agricultural production. Improved rice intensification (SRI), application of high technology in cultivation and development of safe production and processing areas along the value chain, and production practices (VietGAP); building a comprehensive infrastructure to serve production, especially in concentrated production areas, safe vegetable growing areas, and aquaculture areas.

To mitigate land degradation and soil depletion, the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and local authorities have focused on disseminating information and guiding people to develop environmentally friendly agriculture, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and developing the production and use of organic fertilizers to exploit the potential and advantages of available raw materials in conjunction with the application of science and technology, contributing to promoting sustainable production, protecting the environment, and improving soil. To date, the trend of safe agricultural production (VietGAP, organic, organically oriented) has been developing strongly in all areas of crop cultivation, livestock farming, and aquaculture, with 2,471.8 hectares of agricultural production meeting VietGAP standards; 13.6 hectares certified as organic; and approximately 5,100 hectares producing organically. In addition, relevant units closely manage and regularly organize inspections and promptly handle acts that cause soil pollution or misuse of land, affecting the quality and "health" of agricultural land in accordance with the law.

Text and photos: Anh Tuan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/giu-suc-khoe-cho-dat-225391.htm