IPHM rice model increases profit by VND 5.3m per hectare

Recently, the Southern Horticulture and Plant Protection Center held a review conference on IPHM model for rice in Thuy Tay Hamlet, Thanh Hoa Commune, Tay Ninh Province.

The model was implemented on 5 hectares during the 2026 summer-autumn crop, from June to September, using the OM18 rice variety. Under the IPHM model, the seeding rate was 100 kg/ha, compared with 140 kg/ha on farmers’ fields outside the model. The production process also incorporated microbial organic fertilizers, reduced nitrogen application, water management, flowers planted along field bunds, and ecosystem monitoring to determine appropriate pest management measures.

According to MSc. Huynh Thi Ngoc Diem, Deputy Director in charge of the Southern Horticulture and Plant Protection Center, IPHM was developed on the foundation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), but adopts a broader approach.

“IPHM goes beyond pest control to improve the health of seeds and soil, thereby enhancing overall crop health,” Ms. Diem said. The program focuses on six principles: healthy soil, healthy crops, smart investment, ecological and environmental protection, field monitoring, and professional and responsible farmers.

Monitor ecosystem before deciding to spray pesticides

Alongside establishing the model, the Center provided training for 50 farmers from both inside and outside the model area. The program consisted of seven sessions corresponding to different growth stages of the rice crop, helping participants identify pests, beneficial organisms, and appropriate management measures based on analysis of the field ecosystem.

Monitoring results showed that both the IPHM and farmers’ fields had the presence of leaf folders, brown planthoppers, and several diseases. However, pest and natural enemy dynamics differed between the two fields.

At 42-49 days after sowing, brown planthopper density in the IPHM field ranged from 30–63 insects per square meter, while the field outside the model recorded as many as 1,500 insects per square meter at one point. At 63-70 days after sowing, natural enemy density in the IPHM field reached 57–82 insects per square meter, compared with a peak of only 14 insects per square meter in the field outside the model during the same period.

The report noted that the field outside the model received three insecticide treatments during the tillering and panicle initiation-to-heading stages, while the IPHM field did not require pesticide treatments for leaf folders or planthoppers throughout the crop. However, this does not mean that the IPHM field was completely free of pesticide use. During the heading stage, adverse weather conditions prompted both fields to receive two fungicide treatments to prevent grain discoloration and poor grain filling.

Another notable component was an experiment simulating leaf folder damage by cutting off portions of the rice leaf area.

During the tillering stage, cutting 25%, 50%, or 75% of the leaf area did not reduce yields compared with the treatment in which no leaves were cut. At the panicle initiation stage, cutting 25% of the leaf area also had no effect on yield; yield only declined when 50% and 75% of the leaf area was removed.

These results show that rice plants have a certain capacity to recover depending on their growth stage and the extent of damage. Therefore, pesticide use should be based on actual field conditions, the severity of pest damage, and the crop’s ability to recover, rather than on routine spraying or spraying immediately after pests are detected.

Profit increases by over VND 5.3 million/hectare

The model’s effectiveness was clearly reflected in yield and production costs. The IPHM field achieved an actual yield of 7.85 tonnes per hectare, 0.49 tonnes per hectare higher than the 7.36 tonnes per hectare recorded in the field outside the model. At the same selling price of VND 6,500 per kilogram, gross revenue reached more than VND 51 million per hectare and VND 47.84 million per hectare, respectively.

Total production costs for the IPHM field were approximately VND 13.89 million per hectare, VND 2.1 million lower than those of the field outside the model. Seed costs fell by VND 560,000 per hectare, pesticide costs by VND 2.21 million per hectare, and water pumping costs by VND 200,000 per hectare. In contrast, fertilizer costs for the IPHM field were VND 853,000 per hectare higher due to the use of microbial organic fertilizer.

After deducting production costs, profit from the IPHM field exceeded VND 37.1 million per hectare, compared with more than VND 31.8 million per hectare for the field outside the model. The difference in profit between the two models was more than VND 5.3 million per hectare.

Nutrient experiments also demonstrated the potential to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use. With the same seeding rate of 100 kg/ha and the application of 200 kg/ha of microbial organic fertilizer, treatments using 60 and 80 kg N/ha produced actual yields that were not statistically significantly different from the treatment using 100 kg N/ha. These results indicate that, under the experimental conditions, nitrogen application could be reduced by 20-40 kg N/ha without causing a statistically significant decline in yield.

According to Ms. Huynh Thi Ngoc Diem, the model’s results showed that reducing seed and nitrogen fertilizer use, while avoiding unnecessary pesticide applications, helped lower production costs and increase profits, while also contributing to protecting farmers’ health and the field ecosystem. The Center hopes farmers will continue applying IPHM in subsequent crops and that local authorities will gradually scale up the program for suitable crops.

According to the Center’s final report, farmers participating in the model and IPHM training gradually developed a better understanding of the rice field ecosystem, used fertilizers more appropriately, and became more aware of the safe and effective use of plant protection products. The Center also proposed continuing to transfer IPHM practices to local farmers, linking the approach with the development of high-quality, low-emission rice-growing areas.

$ 1 = VND 26,260 - source: Vietcombank.