Businesses join hands to promote low-emission rice cultivation tech

Implementing the “Project on Low-Emission Crop Production in the Crop Production Sector for 2025-2035, with a Vision to 2050”, the Hanoi Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection coordinated with input suppliers and technology solution providers to launch a low-emission rice cultivation model combined with cluster sowing machines in Quang Bi Commune.

A new direction for rice production

At the event, Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Crop Production and Plant Protection Division under the Department of Plant Production and Protection, said that low-emission rice cultivation is both a goal and the outcome of the synchronized application of advanced technical solutions.

“When seed rates are properly managed, fertilizers are used efficiently, water is scientifically controlled, and appropriate cultivation practices are applied, farmers can reduce input costs, maintain yields, improve rice quality, increase income, while also contributing to greenhouse gas emission reduction and limiting pest and disease outbreaks,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Assessing the mechanization solution applied in the model, Mr. Tuan said that the cluster sowing machine combined with fertilizer placement technology is one of the key technologies enabling simultaneous seed sowing and fertilizer application in a single operation.

This solution helps reduce seed usage, improve fertilizer efficiency, promote more uniform rice growth, reduce labor costs, and enhance overall production efficiency.

A representative from the Department of Plant Production and Protection said that the model’s results provide important practical evidence for specialized agencies to further refine technical processes and serve as a basis for scaling up the model in the future.

Regarding local management efforts, Nguyen Van Thuan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection, said the implementation of the low-emission rice cultivation model is part of Hanoi’s plan to carry out the Project on Low-Emission Crop Production for 2025-2035.

Specifically, the model focuses on three key solution groups. First, it promotes the use of high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties that meet consumer and market demands. Second, it accelerates the application of synchronized mechanization, particularly cluster sowing machines combined with fertilizer placement technology, to reduce seed usage, save fertilizers, lower labor costs, address agricultural labor shortages, and help prevent farmland abandonment. Third, it encourages the use of new-generation fertilizers and plant protection products in a safe and efficient manner, minimizing environmental impacts.

Mr. Thuan emphasized that the model also applies SRI combined with alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation practices and optimizes the use of agricultural inputs to improve production efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Thuan also acknowledged and highly appreciated the support of businesses participating in the model, including Saigon Kim Hong Company, which provided cluster sowing machines combined with fertilizer placement technology; Vinaseed, which supplied the Dai Thom 8 rice variety; Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, which provided fertilizers; and Bayer Vietnam, which supported plant protection solutions.

Addressing labor challenges and reducing production costs

Sharing at the event, Dao Thi Nhu He, Director of Saigon Kim Hong Trading Service Co., Ltd. - the supplier of cluster sowing machines combined with fertilizer placement technology, said that this technology was developed to address current challenges in rice production, particularly agricultural labor shortages and rising labor costs in northern provinces.

According to Ms. He, unlike machine transplanting, which requires multiple steps including tray seedling preparation, transportation, and transplanting, cluster sowing technology directly sows seeds in the field, eliminating several intermediate stages and significantly reducing production costs.

Specifically, the machine integrates a fertilizer placement system during seeding, allowing fertilizer to be applied directly into the soil, minimizing nutrient loss and reducing fertilizer use by 20-25%.

In terms of operational capacity, the machine delivers approximately three times higher efficiency than conventional transplanters, with a capacity of 8-10 hectares per day for seeding, or 4-5 hectares per day when combined with fertilizer placement, compared with only 2-3 hectares per day for conventional transplanting machines. In addition, depending on rice varieties, seed usage ranges from 30-50 kg per hectare, helping reduce input costs and improve production efficiency.

Having gained hands-on experience during the previous winter-spring crop, Pham Van Huong, a farmer participating in the model, said his family currently leases around 70 hectares of agricultural land in Quang Bi Commune for commercial rice production. In the current crop season, the cluster sowing model is expected to be applied on approximately 30-40 hectares.

According to Mr. Huong, practical application has demonstrated clear economic benefits, with cluster sowing significantly reducing production costs. While traditional transplanting costs around VND 8-10 million per hectare, cluster sowing requires only about VND 2-3 million per hectare, saving an average of approximately VND 5 million per hectare.

In addition, seed usage has decreased from around 65 kg to approximately 50 kg per hectare, saving 15-20 kg of seeds per hectare. Mr. Huong assessed that rice yields under the cluster sowing method are comparable to those achieved through transplanting, while plants grow more vigorously, show better resistance to lodging, and are better suited for large-scale production.

$ 1 = VND 26,462 - Source: Vietcombank.