IPHM and biotechnology: Future for Viet Nam’s sustainable coconut industry

5 solutions to enhance coconut's output

At the forum “Communicating Plant Health Management for Viet Nam’s Coconut Sector in Line with Consumer-Oriented Production” held on November 6 in Vinh Long, Huynh Thi Ngoc Diem, Deputy Director of the Southern Center for Crop Production and Plant Protection, presented a paper titled “Integrated Plant Health Management - Current Situation and Solutions to Improve the Quality of Coconut Production Areas in the Mekong Delta.” Her presentation highlighted the most pressing issues facing Viet Nam’s coconut industry.

According to Diem, the Mekong Delta is Viet Nam’s largest coconut-growing region, with Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang accounting for the highest proportions in both area and output. The most common varieties include Green Xiem, Red Xiem, Ta (dry coconut), Pineapple, Wax, Malayan and Dwarf coconuts. In recent years, many provinces have introduced new varieties such as Xiem Green Bau, Malayan and Pineapple coconuts, alongside research on high-yield, salt-tolerant strains and tissue and embryo culture techniques to propagate rare and valuable varieties like the Wax coconut.

However, the quality of raw material zones remains inconsistent. Some coconuts fail to meet export standards due to outdated cultivation, care and irrigation practices. In many areas, traditional irrigation systems and salinity intrusion have reduced productivity, while pest outbreaks, including rhinoceros beetles, black-headed caterpillars and palm weevils, have increased production costs and lowered farmers’ profits. Combined with fierce competition from other coconut-producing countries and limited adoption of modern techniques, the Mekong Delta’s coconut sector faces an urgent need for transformation.

To improve production quality and move toward sustainable development, Diem proposed five key solutions.

First, invest in technology, including drip irrigation, moisture sensors and automated irrigation systems, while developing high-yield, disease-resistant varieties.

Second, train farmers through technical workshops on modern cultivation and garden management.

Third, strengthen production linkages, encouraging cooperatives and closer partnerships between farmers and processors to ensure stable markets.

Fourth, promote sustainable farming, prioritizing organic fertilizers and biological pest control to protect soil and water resources, targeting organic certification.

Finally, build brand identity and market promotion, expanding Mekong Delta coconuts’ presence at international trade fairs and enhancing their global reputation.

Diem emphasized that Integrated Plant Health Management (IPHM) must serve as the foundation for this transformation. The approach combines variety selection, cultivation, biological control, and responsible pesticide use. She stressed the need to prioritize strong, locally adapted varieties, ensure balanced fertilization, and apply biological methods such as conserving natural predators, parasitic wasps (Asecodes hispinarum, Tetrastichus brontispae, Bracon hebetor), earwigs and weaver ants, alongside green and white fungi (Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana) to control pests. Chemical pesticides, she added, should only be used as a last resort under the “four rights” principle and must comply with import regulations for export zones.

“The application of IPHM helps coconut trees grow sustainably, reduces dependence on chemicals, and improves fruit quality and traceability,” Diem said. “When farmers and enterprises work together in a green value chain, Mekong Delta coconuts will not only remain a traditional crop but also become a branded export commodity with knowledge and economic value.”

Biotechnology - the breakthrough for developing next-generation coconut varieties

Beyond field management, experts agree that science and biotechnology will play a decisive role in boosting the productivity, quality and climate resilience of Viet Nam’s coconut industry.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Phuong Thao from the International University, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City said coconuts have long been a strategic crop, but expanding acreage, improving yields and breeding new varieties remain major challenges. “Over the past decade, Viet Nam has yet to produce a truly superior coconut variety,” she noted, “even as demand for high-quality planting materials continues to rise.”

Thao emphasized that coconut development must now integrate biotechnology, particularly in propagation and breeding. The coconut tree exemplifies circular agriculture, as every part, from fruit and husk to by-products, can be utilized. It is also considered a “tree of the future” in Viet Nam’s low-emission agriculture strategy, being one of the most efficient crops for CO₂ absorption. Yet after 50 - 70 years, both yield and carbon capture capacity decline, and older trees may even begin emitting CO₂. “Replacing aging trees with new, high-performing varieties is an urgent task,” she added.

Viet Nam currently has unique varieties such as Wax, Ta Green, Ta Red, Xiem Green and Xiem Red coconuts, but genetic inconsistency remains a concern since most farmers still grow from seeds, making genotypes uncertain. “Modern agriculture relies on uniformity and genetic precision,” Thao said. “Only tissue culture technology can ensure this level of consistency.”

Her research team is developing two propagation technologies from coconut fruit and other plant tissues, and has successfully applied Multipuno technology to propagate Wax coconuts with a significantly higher success rate. They are also exploring gene-editing techniques to shorten breeding time and enhance desirable traits such as fruit shape, sweetness, oil content and stress resistance.

Thao expressed her commitment to collaborating with Mekong Delta provinces to advance scientific research and technology transfer, contributing to a coconut industry that is scientifically driven, low-emission and globally competitive.