Low-emission rice farming drives Quang Ninh’s green production

Transforming rice production from the field up

As Viet Nam moves toward its commitment to achieving Net-Zero emissions by 2050, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no longer a challenge confined to the industrial and energy sectors. It has become an urgent priority for agriculture as well. Rice cultivation, a major source of methane (CH₄) emissions, is increasingly under pressure to adopt greener, more sustainable farming practices.

In Quang Ninh, the 2026 spring crop marked the launch of a pilot low-emission rice cultivation model in Dong Trieu Ward and Duong Hoa Commune. The initiative is part of a provincial science and technology project to develop a rice production protocol tailored to local conditions, while contributing to the province's green growth objectives and climate change adaptation efforts.

According to scientific studies, conventional rice cultivation, which maintains continuous flooding in paddy fields, creates anaerobic conditions that accelerate the decomposition of organic matter and generate methane emissions. In addition, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer increases emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential many times greater than that of carbon dioxide.

In response to these challenges, the Quang Ninh Center for Agricultural Extension and Forest Protection and Development Management has developed an integrated package of technical measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions directly at the production stage.

Hoang Thi The, Acting Director of the Center, said the most significant innovation of the model lies in its approach to water management.

"The core of the production protocol is the adoption of alternate wetting and drying (AWD). By avoiding continuous flooding, the fields create less favorable conditions for anaerobic decomposition, thereby significantly reducing methane emissions," she explained.

The model also incorporates a range of complementary measures, including the use of certified rice seed, reduced seeding rates, lower nitrogen fertilizer application, integrated pest and crop health management (IPM and IPHM), and the treatment of rice straw with biological products instead of open-field burning.

While these adjustments may appear modest at each stage of production, together they deliver substantial environmental benefits while improving overall farming efficiency.

Lower emissions without compromising yields

One of the main concerns among farmers has been whether reducing fertilizer use, irrigation water, and seeding rates would lead to lower yields. Initial results from the 2026 spring crop have provided encouraging evidence to the contrary.

According to Hoang Thi The, the Center tested three technical production scenarios to evaluate their emission reduction performance. The results showed greenhouse gas emissions fell by 11-44%, with an average reduction of more than 28% compared with conventional cultivation practices. The best-performing approach achieved a 44% reduction in emissions.

"Our primary objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering production costs," she said. "Reducing seeding rates and nitrogen fertilizer use helps farmers save on input costs, while yields have been maintained, and in some cases even exceeded those under conventional cultivation."

Toward low-emission rice production

According to Bui Xuan Hung, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection, the province faces several challenges in transitioning to low-emission rice production. Unlike many provinces in the Mekong and Red River deltas, Quang Ninh's agricultural land is fragmented and geographically dispersed, with small-scale farms separated by complex terrain. These conditions make mechanization and the consistent application of technical production practices more difficult.

In addition, traditional farming practices remain common in some localities, including the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and improper management of post-harvest residues—particularly the open burning of rice straw. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident through heavier rainfall, more frequent extreme weather events, localized saltwater intrusion in estuarine areas, and rapid urbanization, all of which are contributing to a gradual decline in the province's rice-growing area.

"These factors directly affect our ability to achieve multiple objectives at the same time—ensuring food security, improving agricultural productivity, and meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the crop production sector," Hung emphasized.

To gradually address these challenges, the Quang Ninh Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection has advised the Department of Agriculture and Environment to submit an implementation plan for the provincial scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the crop production sector through 2030, with a vision to 2050, to the Provincial People's Committee. The initiative aims to build a resilient agricultural production system that can adapt to climate change while contributing to the province's green economic development strategy.

Under the plan, Quang Ninh will strengthen communication, training, and extension activities to improve farmers' awareness of low-emission agricultural practices. The province will also continue converting low-productivity rice-growing areas to higher-value crops. In areas where rice cultivation remains appropriate, the agricultural sector will promote the widespread adoption of technical measures such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), row seeding, balanced fertilizer application, and increased mechanization to reduce input costs, improve production efficiency, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The province also plans to gradually integrate science and technology, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence into agricultural management, while developing standardized criteria for assessing emission reduction performance to support consistent implementation across localities. Once the technical protocol currently being developed through the provincial science and technology project is finalized, it is expected to provide the foundation for scaling up the model province-wide, supporting the transition toward greener, low-emission, and more sustainable crop production.

To ensure objective and reliable data, specialists from the Quang Ninh Center for Agricultural Extension and Forest Protection and Development Management, in collaboration with the Institute of Agricultural Environment, have conducted regular field measurements of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the production cycle. These data will provide the scientific basis for finalizing the technical production protocol upon completion of the project.