Integrated pest management in Tuyen Quang province enters new phase

Tuyen Quang Province has determined that the application of integrated pest management (IPM) on crops is a solid premise for VietGAP, organic production, and production according to standards and regulations.

Since the launch of the program, the province has had 7 cooperatives and 18 cooperative groups engaged in producing, processing and consuming organic agricultural products. The total area for organic agricultural products that meets standards and regulations in the province is 1,612ha, including tea, rice and vegetables.

According to Tran Hai Tuyen, Director of the Sub-Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection of Tuyen Quang Province, localities have integrated a number of capital sources to focus on implementing IPM activities in recent years.

In 2020 and the first 6 months of 2021, the province opened 5 training courses to improve knowledge about integrated pest management for 175 participants, including plant protection officers and agricultural extension officers, in addition to 9 classes that aim to train farmers to deploy 9 production models of tea, pomelo, orange and safe vegetables according to IPM, VietGAP and 37 IPM classes on rice, tea, oranges and vegetables.

The promoting and training on IPM has been integrated with the production and crop training in localities to raise awareness for staff and farmers of IPM. A number of IPM models on tea, rice, fruit trees and vegetables have also been deployed, leaving positive effect on the expansion of the application of IPM on crops and reducing the amount of drugs and chemical fertilizers

Tran Van Quyen's family in village 3, Lang Bat, Tan Thanh commune, Ham Yen district is one of the first households to participate in implementing the local IPM model applied on planting tea.

Participating in this model, he was trained to understand pest management on crops and therefore has obtained improved knowledge about selecting varieties and fertilizing in accordance with the technical process and the nutritional needs of the plants in each stage.

He has also used plant protection drugs according to the principle of four rights (right chemical, right dose, right time and right method) on the entire area of nearly 1ha of planting tea.

As the knowledge of IPM has been properly applied, 1ha of Quyen's tea farm has had higher yield and improved quality. Previously, in the same area, he only collected about 2 quintals of fresh tea/season, but since the application of the integrated pest management program, the figure has increased to over 2 quintals. Especially, 100% of tea products are of good quality, having no residues of pesticides and being purchased by traders at stable prices.

Continuing to expand the effectiveness of the integrated pest management program, Tuyen Quang Province will build 30 models of applying IPM at provincial level, 108 models at district level on key crops such as: Rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, tea, fruit trees in the 2021-2025 period.

These models are expected to transfer technology to producers in applying IPM techniques on the fields. Other measures will be conducted as well like measures of land cover, treatment of straw to improve soil, planting trees for shading and covering crops and crop rotation to increase adaptability to climate change.

New varieties that are resistant to pests, diseases, drought and cold, suitable to local natural conditions, as well as organic fertilizers, microbial fertilizers, biological products, herbal medicines, pheromones and traps to kill pests will be used.

In addition, sustainable intensive farming measures will be implemented to reduce the use of pesticides, irrigation water, greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure crop productivity and quality.