Mr. Hoang Van Thang is a famous coffee farmer in Chu Prong district, Dak Lak province. Mr. Thang's coffee garden is lush and green, the trees are of equal height. In particular, the trees have wide canopies, long branches and, according to experts, are reasonably shaped.
Smart coffee farming (Part 1): Coffee garden over 30 years old still produces good yield. Video : Quang Sung
Coffee garden over 30 years old still produces good yield
Mr. Thang has about 2 hectares of pure coffee, each tree harvests about 5-7kg of beans/crop. What is special is that the coffee trees here are more than 30 years old.
“The coffee trees in this garden were planted around 1994 - 1995. In 2015, I bought the garden and two years later I grafted the entire garden and have been harvesting it so far,” said Mr. Thang.
Mr. Hoang Van Thang (right) is discussing with Dr. Ton Nu Tuan Nam - Former Head of Science Department, Tay Nguyen Agricultural and Forestry Science Institute about the situation of the garden. Photo: Quang Sung
Despite his old age, Mr. Thang’s coffee garden still produces good yields. Each year, his 2 hectares yield about 9 tons of coffee beans.
Currently, Mr. Thang is dedicating 1 hectare to participate in the smart coffee farming model adapting to climate change in the Central Highlands region jointly implemented by the National Agricultural Extension Center, the Central Highlands Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology Institute and Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company.
Of which, 1/3 of the area is cultivated in the traditional way as the garden owner has been doing for a long time. The remaining 2/3 of the area will be cultivated according to the process proposed by scientists to compare and contrast the two forms of cultivation.
Dr. Ton Nu Tuan Nam - former Head of Science Department of the Central Highlands Agricultural and Forestry Science Institute said that scientists will work with garden owners to continue to care for, fertilize and demonstrate that fertilizing according to the model's farming process will bring about production efficiency and ensure soil fertility.
Mr. Thang's coffee garden is known by many farmers in the commune. Photo: Quang Sung
“In 2/3 of the area, we divide half of it into fertilizing according to the old formula, the other half according to the process and mix it with phosphorus-dissolving and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms and antagonistic microorganisms to fight the disease,” said Dr. Nam.
Smart coffee farming is always changing
Dr. Pham Anh Cuong - Head of Research and Development Department, Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company said that fertilizers with new characteristics are expected to be more effective than the conventional farming process of farmers.
"However, we still rely on a principle that has been applied up to now, such as in the dry season, fertilizer must be suitable for the tree to recover quickly and nourish the fruit, prevent young fruit from falling, and help the fruit grow quickly. In the rainy season, there must be suitable fertilizer to help the fruit grow faster and at the end of the fruit growing period, there must be a type of fertilizer with full nutrition and necessary elements for the coffee fruit to achieve high quality and stable yield," Dr. Cuong analyzed.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Bo - Former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (right) discussed with farmers about the smart coffee cultivation process. Photo: Quang Sung
To build a smart coffee farming process that adapts to climate change in the Central Highlands, scientists have collected a lot of information about the natural conditions of the garden, farming practices of the people...
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Bo - former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, analyzing many samples and many ballots will determine the limitations of the garden and the land. From there, a truly effective formula and fertilization process can be built, adjusting the process to suit each model.
"The requirement of smart coffee farming is to meet all the nutritional requirements of coffee plants, assess the current status, soil fertility, the status of the cultivated garden, and the pure or intercropping system," said Dr. Mo.
Mr. Thang's 30-year-old coffee garden still produces good yields. Photo: Quang Sung
The coffee cultivation process is not immutable but changes according to natural conditions, garden status, market changes and the investment capacity of the gardener. In which there is a close connection between fertilizers, varieties, cultivation systems, irrigation... not only aiming at pure coffee, but also researching intercropping coffee gardens.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Bo
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