Applying machinery and technology to optimize the efficiency of straw utilization.

Rice straw, once discarded and wasted during rice production, has become a valuable resource for nurturing a circular agricultural ecosystem, promoting green production and low emissions. With support from relevant authorities, farmers in many rice-growing cooperatives in Can Tho City have gained access to machinery and technology to improve the efficiency of managing, utilizing, and processing rice straw in the fields. This has resulted in farmers saving time and costs, and increasing their income.

Straw is no longer wasted.

In recent years, farmers at the Tien Thuan Agricultural and Service Cooperative in Hamlet H2, Thanh Quoi Commune, Can Tho City, have stopped burning rice straw in the fields after harvests. Instead, they collect the straw generated during rice production and use it for various other production activities to increase their income. In particular, with support from the city's Department of Agriculture and Environment and related units, farmers at the cooperative have used machinery and technology to collect straw for use in a circular economy approach. The straw is used to cultivate straw mushrooms, while the straw substrate is reused to make organic fertilizer for rice and other crops.

Demonstration of the application of machinery and technology in collecting and processing straw in the fields at Tien Thuan Agricultural and Service Cooperative.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Khai, Director of Tien Thuan Agricultural and Service Cooperative, said: “The rice production efficiency of many farmers in the cooperative has not only been improved thanks to participating in the high-quality, low-emission rice production model, but farmers also have a significant additional income from utilizing straw. With the support of the city's Department of Agriculture and Environment, along with relevant institutes, universities, and units, especially the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), farmers in the cooperative have access to advanced machinery and technology to help collect and process straw quickly and cost-effectively. Farmers are also guided on using straw to grow straw mushrooms in different models such as outdoor and indoor cultivation, in order to proactively adapt to local production conditions in each season.”

According to Mr. Pham Dinh Thieu, a member of the Tien Thuan Agricultural and Service Cooperative, his family has 5 hectares of rice fields. Since participating in the high-quality, low-emission rice production model in 2024 and receiving support and guidance from relevant agencies in implementing a circular economy model using rice straw, he has increased his income by 15 million VND or more per rice crop. Encouragingly, farmers in the cooperative have recently received further support from relevant agencies in applying integrated technology solutions, combining mechanized tilling or plowing of rice straw with the spraying or spreading of biological preparations to treat the straw in the fields. This helps farmers make good use of the remaining rice straw in the fields to replenish nutrients for the soil.

Disseminate and replicate the model.

To facilitate access for more farmers to machinery, technology, and models for harvesting and utilizing straw in a circular economy, the Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department under the Department of Agriculture and Environment recently collaborated with IRRI to organize the "Farmers' Day Demonstration of Mechanized Straw Burying Combined with the Application of Biological Products to Enhance Soil Health" at Tien Thuan Agricultural and Service Cooperative.

Farmers participating in the event, from various communes and wards across the city, witnessed firsthand the operation of machinery and technology in straw processing and directly exchanged ideas with experts. They also visited practical models of indoor and outdoor straw mushroom cultivation, as well as the use of straw as a substrate for organic fertilizer production. This provided farmers with information and knowledge to optimize straw use according to their production conditions, thereby enhancing the rice value chain and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is crucial for achieving the goals of the Sustainable Development Project for One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice in the Mekong Delta by 2030 (the One Million Hectare Rice Project).

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, straw and stubble management is a matter of great importance to the city's Department of Agriculture and Environment in implementing the One Million Hectare Rice Project. The ultimate goal is to contribute to reducing emissions while increasing income for rice farmers. Going forward, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will continue to closely coordinate with domestic and international partners to help farmers and businesses access and apply advanced machinery and technology. Can Tho has an area of ​​170,000 hectares for the implementation of the One Million Hectare Rice Project by 2030, of which 104,500 hectares will be implemented in 2025.

In reality, when farmers collect straw from the fields for other production activities, a significant amount of straw and stubble often remains. Therefore, strengthening support and guidance for farmers to apply mechanization combined with microbial technology for rapid straw decomposition in the fields is essential. Furthermore, during the summer-autumn and autumn-winter seasons, unfavorable weather conditions such as rain and floods make straw collection difficult, increasing costs. Wet and muddy straw is also difficult to utilize for value enhancement. In these cases, processing straw in the field is the optimal solution to help farmers reduce costs, prepare the land for planting the new crop in a timely manner, and increase soil nutrients.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, a technical consultant at IRRI working at Tien Giang University, on-site treatment is the core solution for the uncollectible straw. New technologies allow straw to be directly buried in the soil, combined with microbial preparations to accelerate decomposition, helping to return nutrients to the soil, increase fertility, and facilitate the successful implementation of the One Million Hectare Rice Project by farmers. The success in researching and applying this technology to actual farming practices is the result of close cooperation between IRRI, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, and partners who have provided funding, technology, and long-term testing.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Vice President of the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, to enhance the rice value chain, a comprehensive strategy focusing on three pillars is needed. These are: promoting mechanization to reduce losses during and after harvest, as well as increasing production efficiency; managing rice straw effectively to improve its use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, paying attention to the production of organic fertilizers to improve soil and reduce the cost of inorganic fertilizers; and improving soil health, considering soil enrichment as a long-term investment to ensure sustainable production for future generations.

Text and photos: KHANH TRUNG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/ung-dung-may-moc-cong-nghe-de-toi-uu-hieu-qua-su-dung-rom-ra-a193809.html