Pineapple-areca-coconut intercropping reduces pest pressure

Multi-layer farming reduces pest pressure

In Binh An commune, An Giang province, the pineapple-areca-coconut intercropping model is proving effective not only from an economic perspective but also in terms of plant protection, helping control pests and diseases, improve soil quality, and enhance climate change adaptation.

According to the An Giang Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the province currently has more than 9,100 hectares of pineapple farming, of which Binh An commune accounts for around 1,764 hectares, forming a concentrated production area. Notably, 100% of the pineapple-growing area is intercropped with areca palms and coconuts, creating a multi-layer farming ecosystem.

The model helps optimize the use of sunlight, moisture, and nutrients across different crop layers, while also limiting the spread of pests and diseases. The upper coconut layer provides shade and helps retain soil moisture; the middle areca layer regulates the microclimate, while the lower pineapple layer grows more stably, reducing physiological stress.

However, field production shows that many farmers still plant pineapples at high density (around 3.5 plants/m²), leading to nutrient competition and increasing the risk of pest and disease outbreaks such as mealybugs and pineapple mealybug wilt disease, a dangerous virus-related disease.

Notably, pineapple seedlings are currently propagated mainly by farmers through suckers without certification, showing signs of degeneration and pathogen accumulation. This method directly affects fruit yield and quality. Facing increasing pest pressure, many farmers in Binh An have proactively shifted toward safe and cost-efficient cultivation practices.

Mr. Huynh Nam Phat, a farmer cultivating 2 hectares under the pineapple-areca-coconut model, shared, "My family has applied this model for many years. After deducting costs, we earn profits of around VND 150 million annually. The key is knowing how to care for the crops, manage the soil, and prevent diseases early so the plants grow well and require fewer pesticides."

According to Mr. Phat, at the beginning of each crop season, farmers need to improve the soil by building raised beds, adding silt, and applying organic fertilizers to enhance soil fertility. During the care process, priority should be given to manual and biological measures to limit mealybugs, while diseased plants should be pruned to prevent the spread of diseases.

Intercropping has also significantly reduced pest and disease pressure compared to monoculture farming. Farmers who follow proper technical practices can maintain stable yields while keeping production costs low. In practice, pesticide costs in the model are only around VND 2.85 million/hectare, lower than for many other crops. However, efficiency has yet to reach its full potential due to unbalanced fertilizer application, particularly potassium deficiency, which is a key factor in determining fruit quality.

Toward safe production and consumption linkages

Mr. Dang Thanh Phong, Deputy Head of the An Giang Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, emphasized that improving the effectiveness of the pineapple-areca-coconut model must begin with seedling quality control and the synchronized application of technical processes.

It is also necessary to establish a supply system for disease-free pineapple seedlings and guide farmers in adopting standards such as VietGAP and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to improve pest control efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality.

In addition, the specialized sector recommends adjusting pineapple planting density to appropriate levels, applying balanced fertilization, and suspending nitrogen fertilizer application before harvest to ensure fruit quality meets domestic consumption and export standards.

One major challenge is that pineapple output still depends heavily on traders, who account for 68% of purchases, while contract farming and value-chain linkages remain limited. This has led to unstable prices, directly affecting farmers' incomes.

Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep, Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the sector is focusing on strengthening linkages among enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers. An Giang's agricultural sector will review raw material areas and develop planting area codes to ensure food safety standards and build trust among businesses. At the same time, the sector will step up the transfer of science and technology and improve seedling quality to meet market requirements.

In the coming period, An Giang’s agricultural sector aims to develop the pineapple-areca-coconut model toward an ecological, sustainable, and value chain-oriented approach. Priority will be given to the synchronized implementation of solutions, including completing a disease-free seedling system, promoting VietGAP-standard cultivation, strengthening integrated pest management, reorganizing production through cooperative models, and expanding consumption linkages with enterprises. At the same time, investment in irrigation infrastructure, on-field transport systems, and financial and technical support for farmers is also considered a key factor.

With favorable ecological conditions, farming experience, and clear orientations from the functional sector, the pineapple–areca–coconut intercropping model in An Giang is expected to become a large-scale commodity production zone capable of meeting domestic standards and gradually expanding into export markets.