IAS - a century of development alongside Vietnamese agriculture

Laying the first foundation

After the World War I, due to the rising demand for agricultural products, the French Government implemented a series of agricultural projects, mainly focusing on developing industrial crops in its colonies. To carry out these projects, the French Government established numerous scientific research institutions in France, Africa and Asia.

In that context, the Indochina Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Research was established on April 2, 1925, in Saigon. This was the first and only scientific research institute on agriculture and forestry in Indochina during the 1920s.

After its establishment, the Indochina Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Research began conducting various scientific tasks and strengthening research capacity.

From its establishment until 1945, the Institute laid the initial foundation for agricultural science disciplines in Viet Nam through many scientific works such as classifying crop diseases, describing the geographical locations of agricultural production areas in Indochina, monographs on red soils and basalt soils of Indochina, research on chemistry and rice processing technology, rice cultivation handbooks, studies on pepper and more.

From 1945 to April 1975, the Institute underwent several name changes, such as the Bureau of Agricultural and Forestry Research and Collection, the Bureau of Agricultural and Livestock Research and Collection (in 1956) and later the Institute of Agricultural Research (in 1968).

During this period of turbulence, the Institute carried out many scientific activities, making important contributions to agricultural development in southern Viet Nam, such as mapping the soils of the Mekong Delta, mapping land use in southern Viet Nam, mapping southern flora species… Researchers from the Institute also addressed soil degradation, highlighted the role of reforestation, built crop structures to support livestock development and selected promising rice varieties for production in the South.

Along with basic research, the Institute introduced many high-yield crop and livestock varieties to southern Viet Nam and conducted trials and demonstrations. Many imported varieties quickly adapted and became key production varieties, such as the Guatemala Golden maize variety and sweet potato varieties Tainung 57, Hsinchu 1, Okinawa… Potato variety trials such as Saphir, Rheinhort, Cosima and Delta A in Tung Nghia laid the foundation for establishing later potato production areas at the Hung Loc Agricultural Experiment Center and Da Lat.

In addition to variety introduction, the Institute also began international cooperation in scientific research during this period, including partnerships with Taiwan and the United States to research rice, sugarcane, irrigation and with Korea on vegetable and flower development in the South.

Notably, during the first Green Revolution for wheat, rice, and several crop species, the Institute introduced rice variety IR5, also known as Than Nong 5, and brought it into production, initiating the Green Revolution in southern Vietnam. It also successfully developed IR8 (Than Nong 8), the miracle rice of the global Green Revolution at that time, initially tested in upland rice areas, later expanded widely across the Mekong Delta, becoming a key variety for many years.

Overcoming difficult post-war years

After national reunification, several agricultural scientists from liberated areas and the North joined in taking over the Institute of Agricultural Research. The Institute was renamed the Southern Agricultural Science Institute. In early 1977, it was renamed the Agricultural Engineering Institute of Southeastern Viet Nam. Four years later, in August 1981, this Institute merged with Facility No. 2 of the Viet Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences to become the Agricultural Engineering Institute of Southern Viet Nam.

As the country entered the renovation (Doi Moi) period, the Institute changed its name twice. In 1990, it became the Southern Agricultural Science Institute, and eight years later, on May 27, 1998, it received its current name: the Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Viet Nam (IAS).

In the early years after reunification, IAS scientists overcame countless difficulties and shortages, focusing immediately on research to help resolve the severe post-war food shortage. Notably, basic plant protection research contributed significantly and effectively to controlling brown planthopper outbreaks and rice diseases during the severe pest epidemics of 1977 - 1979 in the Mekong Delta.

Despite facing hardships in the early years, the Institute expanded international cooperation impressively. Many projects not only strengthened IAS’s facilities and human resources but also helped build its reputation in southern agricultural production.

Typical examples include the facility-enhancement projects funded by UNDP; maize development projects (UNDP); cooperation with the Soviet Union through the VIR project on preserving plant genetic resources; research on acid sulfate soils through the ISA/FOS/DTM project funded by Belgium in Dong Thap Muoi; and projects from UNDP, France, the Netherlands, Australia, and others. These created an important foundation for IAS to continue expanding international collaboration with many organizations, institutes and universities in later periods.

For a prosperous and sustainable agriculture

Since national reunification, IAS has carried out many important scientific tasks, making major contributions to agricultural development in southern provinces and cities, from food crops, industrial crops, vegetables, and plant protection to livestock and poultry production.

In addition, IAS has achieved remarkable accomplishments in training human resources for the agricultural sector. Since being assigned by the Government to provide postgraduate training in December 1992, the Institute has trained nearly 60 PhD holders specializing in genetics and plant breeding, soil science, crop science, biotechnology, livestock science…

IAS’s contributions have been recognized by the State with many prestigious awards, including the First-, Second-, and Third-Class Labor Orders; the First-, Second-, and Third-Class Independence Orders; the Ho Chi Minh Award for science and technology for research on high-performance hybrid pigs; the State Award for scientific achievements in evaluating and selecting pest-resistant, high-yield rice varieties; research and development of the rice variety VND 95-20 for export and domestic use; and scientific and technological solutions for livestock nutrition and feed for industrial livestock production.

Over a century of formation and development, as the first agricultural - forestry research institute in Indochina, IAS has left a profound mark on the history of Vietnamese agricultural science, becoming a leading research institution that has contributed greatly to sustainable agricultural development in the South and the whole country.

As Viet Nam enters a new era, with a 100-year legacy and the trust and companionship of state management agencies, the Viet Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, farmers, the business community and partners, the Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Viet Nam will continue striving for a prosperous and sustainable Vietnamese agriculture.