Farmer 4.0: Applying green energy and IoT technology to manage apricot blossom gardens.

Ho Chi Minh City is applying green energy and IoT technology to the care and management of apricot blossom gardens, helping apricot growers save costs, achieve high economic efficiency, and create a greener and cleaner environment.

The yellow apricot blossom tree has long been considered a "wealth-generating tree" in Binh Loi district, Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to the transformation of the rural landscape towards a more modern and prosperous direction. From these apricot blossom gardens, a new generation of dynamic and eager-to-learn farmers has boldly embraced technology, introduced advanced techniques into production, and gradually increased their income, striving for sustainable wealth.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc's model for applying green energy and IoT systems recently received an encouragement award at the 5th "Farmers' Technical Innovation" competition - 2025, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association on December 18th. Photo: N.D.

As one of the leading farmers in applying science and technology to the care and management of apricot blossom gardens, Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc (owner of Huu Duc apricot blossom garden, Vuon Thom Street, Binh Loi Commune, Ho Chi Minh City) is always exploring and learning to implement these technologies in his garden.

According to Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc, the traditional apricot blossom cultivation profession is currently facing many challenges, especially rising production costs and the fact that tree care is still mainly based on intuitive experience.

In practice, manual watering and fertilizing often results in either overwatering or underwatering, leading to waste and negatively impacting the health of the apricot trees. Furthermore, the cost of electricity to operate pumps is high, and the soil is at risk of degradation due to the uncontrolled overuse of chemical fertilizers.

From there, he decided to research and develop a comprehensive solution built on the integration of two core systems: green energy and IoT.

"The green energy system uses solar panels, providing an independent power source for the entire irrigation and control system, ensuring the apricot blossom garden continues to operate stably even during power outages. Simultaneously, the IoT management system combines hardware (sensors, HT-01 control cabinet) and software (Agri IoT application), allowing apricot blossom growers to monitor and control their gardens anytime, anywhere via smartphone."

According to Mr. Duc, the novelty and breakthrough of this model lies in the decision-making process based on real-time data. Sensors continuously collect information on temperature, humidity, pH, EC, and nutrient levels (N, P, K) in the soil. This data is analyzed by the Agri IoT Bot and compared to the optimal levels for apricot trees.

"When the system detects that the soil is too acidic, too salty, or deficient in nutrients, it will issue an alert and automatically activate the HT-01 control cabinet to water and fertilize precisely and at the right time. Thanks to this, the model yields many noticeable benefits. The apricot blossom garden uses 100% solar power, completely saving on grid electricity, and the payback period is only 1-2 years. Fertilizer costs are reduced by about 25% thanks to applying the right amount at the right time, minimizing leaching and waste. The soil fertility is protected, the plants grow healthily, the flowers bloom evenly and beautifully, increasing the commercial value," said Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc.

For many years, Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc has been honored by the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association as an outstanding farmer. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

According to Mr. Duc, another advantage of the model is its high applicability and scalability. The system is designed in a modular form, easy to install and upgrade, suitable for everything from household farms with a few dozen apricot trees to large farms with thousands of trees. Not only applicable to yellow apricot trees, this solution is also suitable for fruit trees, ornamental plants, and many other high-tech agricultural models. The technology is packaged simply, allowing farmers to easily access and master it through their smartphones.

It can be said that the combination of green energy and IoT 4.0 technology represents a new direction in bringing modern technology into traditional agriculture, contributing to reducing costs, improving production efficiency, and promoting sustainable development of apricot blossom cultivation in Ho Chi Minh City.

Furthermore, Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc, along with other farmer members in Binh Loi commune, established the Farmers' Coffee Club to share new knowledge, effective methods, and modern techniques for application in agricultural production.

Every day, in addition to tending to his apricot blossom garden in preparation for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), Bui Ngoc Duc regularly livestreams selling apricot blossoms or posts articles on social media platforms like Zalo, Facebook, and YouTube, guiding people on apricot blossom care techniques at each stage, and how to shape apricot blossoms to make them visually appealing.

Huu Duc's apricot blossom garden uses an automatic irrigation system to save water, ensuring the plants absorb just the right amount. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

Thanks to proactively improving techniques and applying technology, caring for and managing thousands of apricot blossom trees has become easier and more convenient for Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc. This has helped increase the value of each tree. Currently, the yellow apricot blossom trees from Huu Duc's garden have been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

This Tet holiday, Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc plans to bring to the market approximately 200 bonsai apricot blossom trees, 500 potted apricot blossom trees, and 5,000 apricot blossom trees grown in soil to serve people in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and other provinces and cities in general during Tet.

At the end of 2024, the Bình Lợi yellow apricot blossom cultivation industry was officially recognized as a traditional craft village by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, opening up many development opportunities for apricot blossom growers. Benefiting from preferential policies under Decree 52/2018/ND-CP on the development of rural industries, the Bình Lợi apricot blossom village has more opportunities to expand its market, diversify its products, and enhance its economic value and competitiveness.

With the support of the local government and the proactive, creative, and technologically advanced approach of young farmers, Binh Loi yellow apricot blossom village is continuing to assert its position on the map of Vietnamese ornamental apricot blossoms. Not only does it provide stable income and improve the quality of life for the people, but Binh Loi yellow apricot blossoms also contribute to opening up a sustainable direction for agricultural tourism and ornamental plant trade in the locality.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nong-dan-40-ung-dung-nang-luong-xanh-cong-nghe-iot-quan-ly-vuon-mai-d790275.html