Farmers are excited about tissue-cultured acacia hybrids.

In Thanh Hoa, many households have switched from planting regular acacia to tissue-cultured hybrid acacia due to its superior advantages in terms of variety, yield, and tree durability.

Acacia species have many advantages.

Tien Hill (Tho Binh commune, Thanh Hoa province) is devastated by the leaning acacia trees after the recent storm. Locals are no longer keen on replanting or pruning, as everyone understands that fallen trees mean total loss. However, right next to these desolate patches of forest, the acacia trees planted with hybrid acacia seedlings still stand tall, their foliage lush and green, almost completely unharmed by the storm.

Mr. Le Sy Dinh, from Hamlet 10, is a household that has been involved in acacia tree cultivation for over 10 years. He recounted that in the past, people in the area mainly relied on acacia forests for their livelihood. However, due to a lack of knowledge and access to standard seedlings, people often had to buy seedlings from small, independent traders. Therefore, if they got good seedlings, the trees would thrive, but if they were unlucky, they could lose half a hillside completely.

The hybrid acacia planting project, supported by the Thanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, is contributing to stabilizing people's incomes. Photo: Quoc Toan.

What worries Mr. Dinh the most is that if a storm hits when the trees are not yet mature enough and their trunks are not yet strong enough to hold up, the entire crop will be lost. Some households have even experienced situations where their acacia trees wither, grow slowly, and are attacked by pests and diseases for no apparent reason.

The real change began when the Thanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center introduced tissue-cultured acacia hybrids for experimental cultivation. Mr. Dinh's family received support from the Center in the form of seedlings and fertilizer to plant 1.2 hectares of tissue-cultured acacia hybrids. After nearly a year, the newly planted acacia trees have grown tall, some exceeding 3 meters in height, with straight trunks, thick and sturdy foliage, demonstrating a clear superiority over the acacia varieties the family had previously planted.

What surprised Mr. Dinh most was that the tissue-cultured acacia trees remained straight and standing firm after the storm, while many surrounding acacia plantations were broken and felled after strong winds. He shared: "The tissue-cultured acacia variety from the Vietnam Forestry Science Institute offers a completely different quality compared to the acacia planted on a large scale before. The trunk is strong, the base is sturdy, the leaves are thick, and it grows quickly and uniformly. Even with the fierce storm, not a single tree fell. In particular, the trees are healthy, disease-resistant, and grow faster than the acacia plantations of other households, even though they planted theirs several months earlier."

The hybrid acacia trees grown by Mr. Dinh's family are developing well, with high yields expected. Photo: Quoc Toan.

According to Mr. Dinh, in the past, people were only familiar with planting acacia trees by digging holes and placing the saplings in them, almost without adhering to any technical procedures. But now, people are guided systematically by officials from the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, from preparing planting holes, planting methods, fertilizing, to caring for the trees after planting. As a result, the trees are developing much better than other types of acacia.

Mr. Trinh Tuan Phe, a household participating in the hybrid acacia planting project, said: "The hybrid acacia seedlings were supported by the State and we received hands-on guidance from officials, so the trees are developing very well and have a high survival rate. Currently, the tree trunks have reached a height of 2.5 meters or more, suitable for the local soil conditions."

According to local residents, tissue-cultured acacia hybrids are more resilient and have deep taproots, making them significantly more resistant to strong winds and storms than conventional acacia hybrids. Initially, there has been less economic damage due to natural disasters. Because of their taproot structure and flexible trunks, tissue-cultured acacia hybrids can withstand strong winds, so the recent storms did not cause significant damage. They have a high survival rate, grow quickly, and yield better results compared to conventional acacia hybrids.

With the development of hybrid acacia varieties through the support project, households predict that after the harvesting cycle, the yield will be 20-30% higher than that of regular acacia. "This hybrid acacia variety can reach nearly 200 tons/ha," Mr. Phe said.

Mr. Trinh Tuan Phe inspects the development of the hybrid acacia plantation under the project. Photo: Quoc Toan.

According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center's assessment, the model of intensive large-timber forest cultivation using high technology and linked to product consumption (tissue-cultured acacia) in some localities in Thanh Hoa province has been implemented on schedule, with all aspects completed, from training and material distribution to technical guidance. Farmers have received training in intensive forest cultivation techniques. Seeds and fertilizers are supplied with guaranteed quality; technical staff closely monitor the growth of the planted forests.

Thanks to the synchronized application of silvicultural techniques such as clearing undergrowth, digging holes according to specifications, fertilizing, and planting at the correct density of 1,660 trees/ha, the acacia forest is growing well, with a survival rate of approximately 96%. After one year, the average height of the trees is 2-2.6 m, with a trunk diameter of 1.8-2.5 cm, and some exceptional trees reaching 3 m. This result shows that the tissue-cultured hybrid acacia variety adapts well to local conditions and is clearly superior to the commonly planted variety.

"The outstanding advantage of the model is the use of hybrid acacia varieties AH1 and AH7 - acacia varieties recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, which grow 1.2-1.5 times faster than conventional varieties and are less prone to breakage. When combined with intensive cultivation techniques, the expected economic efficiency is expected to increase significantly. If planted with large timber over a 12-year cycle, the income reaches approximately 390 million VND/ha, 2.4 times higher than planting small timber," stated the report from the Thanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center.

Expanding the area and increasing the value of hybrid acacia tissue culture.

In addition to supporting households in planting hybrid acacia seedlings under the project, the Forest Protection Department annually advises the Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Environment to issue directives and guidelines to forestry seedling production and trading establishments to develop seedling production plans ensuring sufficient quantity and quality to meet the needs of reforestation in the province. Each year, nurseries in the province prepare more than 1 million hybrid acacia seedlings to support the expansion of reforestation areas. Local authorities also organize training on intensive cultivation techniques for large timber using hybrid acacia seedlings.

Over the past period, concentrated forest planting using tissue-cultured trees in the province has achieved significant results in implementing support policies, deployment methods, and expanding the planted area. From 2021 to 2025, the entire province has planted more than 8,000 hectares of concentrated forest using tissue-cultured acacia hybrid trees in communes of the former Nhu Xuan and Nhu Thanh districts.

The hybrid acacia variety from the project has good resistance to pests and diseases. Photo: Quoc Toan.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Director of the Nhu Thanh Protective Forest Management Board, said: "In the past period, the unit coordinated with local people to plant more than 100 hectares of hybrid acacia forest. The forest was planted in a concentrated and uniform manner and is in a good stage of development, significantly improving the durability of the trees compared to traditional acacia varieties."

After a 5-year cycle, people harvest more than 100 tons of wood per hectare. After deducting expenses, the income reaches approximately 100 million VND per hectare. This is a supplementary crop that helps people earn a stable additional income. Tissue-cultured acacia is easy to care for, requires little cost, and brings sustainable economic benefits to the people."

Overall, in 2025 alone, the province aims to plant 1,500 hectares of hybrid acacia forests using tissue-cultured seedlings. The intensive cultivation model of large timber forests using tissue-cultured hybrid acacia has shown high economic efficiency, with biomass increasing 1.6-2 times compared to areas planted with common local varieties.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai, Head of the Forest Development and Utilization Department (Thanh Hoa Forest Protection Department), said: "In the coming time, the locality aims to increase the area of ​​planted forests using tissue-cultured seedlings; improve the productivity and quality of planted forests through the use of high-quality varieties combined with intensive forest management; gradually switch from traditional seedlings to high-tech varieties and promote linkages between research, production and forest planters."

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nong-dan-hao-hung-with-keo-lai-mo-d785705.html