Science and tech paves the way for low-emission agriculture

Accessing advanced cultivation solutions

Having been attached to durian trees for over two decades, Mr. Nguyen Van Su in Village 4, Quang Phu commune, Dak Lak Province, has experienced many ups and downs. Like many other farmers, his family relied primarily on traditional experience during his early years of cultivation. The unscientific application of fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, and irrigation water led to high production costs and unstable efficiency.

The turning point arrived in 2011 when Mr. Su's family decided to replant their entire acreage in a more systematic manner. The orchard was designed with a lower planting density, leaving 9 meters between trees to optimize ventilation and limit pests. Regular pruning and canopy-shaping measures were executed to help the trees grow neatly, boost the fruit-setting rate, and improve fruit quality.

The most significant change occurred when his durian orchard was selected as a demonstration model supported by scientists from the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science and Technology Institute (WASI) and international partners. From this point forward, his family gained access to a series of modern cultivation solutions, ranging from nutrient management and water-saving irrigation to scientific pest control.

The "4 Rights" principle for the use of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals was strictly enforced. A drip irrigation system helped control humidity, minimize water loss, and reduce stress during prolonged heatwaves. Consequently, production costs dropped by approximately 12–15% per crop season, while fruit yield and quality improved substantially.

According to MSc. Do Van Chung, Deputy Head of the Agricultural Systems Department (WASI), the Institute has recently coordinated with multiple domestic and international enterprises, such as Bayer, Syngenta, Yara, Binh Dien, and various other units, to deploy focal demonstration models. Through these models, farmers receive support for agricultural inputs and access advanced farming techniques, as well as water management and water-saving irrigation solutions to boost production efficiency.

Years of monitoring these models show that indicators regarding pests, fruit-setting rates, productivity, and soil quality have all visibly improved. Reducing the quantity of input materials and the frequency of spraying while maintaining production efficiency has proven the correctness of this new cultivation orientation.

“We focus on optimizing inputs, managing irrigation water rationally, and applying appropriate technical solutions. This not only helps residents lower costs but also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the production environment,” MSc. Do Van Chung stated.

Precise nutrient management to lower emissions

While the durian sector is transforming itself to meet the requirements of export markets, the coffee industry faces similar pressure to adapt to climate change and global sustainability standards.

In this context, a collaborative project between Enveritas and WASI, financed by JDE, Nestlé, and Smucker, has delivered positive results in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and elevating economic efficiency for Central Highlands coffee growers.

The project has been running from 2022 to June 2026, aiming to develop rational nutrient management models that reduce chemical fertilizer use while maintaining productivity, improving soil health, and boosting farmers' profits.

According to WASI scientists, a common reality currently is that many farmers still tend to apply fertilizers in quantities exceeding the actual needs of the crops. The mindset that "the more fertilizer applied, the higher the yield" leads to fertilizer use exceeding necessary thresholds, raising production costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

To resolve this issue, the project deployed 36 experimental models across key coffee-growing provinces, including Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Lam Dong. Each model was established on an acreage of 1 hectare, with half of the area applying the farmers' usual cultivation workflow and the other half following WASI's recommendations.

Monitoring results over three years revealed that nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in the control plots were significantly higher than in the experimental models. However, there was virtually no major difference in yield between the two methods.

Notably, the models applying balanced fertilization workflows, reducing NPK quantities while supplementing organic fertilizers, lime, and medium and micronutrient elements, yielded approximately 5.3% higher productivity. Economic efficiency also increased by about 9.2% compared to traditional cultivation practices.

MSc. Hoang Thi Ai Duyen, a researcher at WASI's Agricultural Systems Department, noted that the nitrogen in the model was reduced by about 25%, phosphorus by 50%, and potassium by about 10% compared to conventional production practices.

“The results show that despite reducing chemical fertilizers, the trees still grow well, productivity increases by over 5%, profits rise by about 10%, and particularly, greenhouse gas emissions from production activities drop significantly,” MSc. Duyen informed.

Beyond delivering efficiency on research indicators, the model has forged a clear shift in local awareness. Mr. Hoang The Dan, a farmer in Krong Buk district, Dak Lak province, one of the households participating in the project since 2023, shared that after receiving guidance from technical staff, he switched to applying a fertilization workflow based on the actual needs of the crops, combined with managing irrigation water, maintaining shade trees, and intercropping in his coffee garden.

“Initially, I was anxious because the fertilizer amount was reduced quite a bit. But after a few crop seasons, I see that the trees still develop well and yields remain stable, while investment costs have dropped. The soil in the garden is also looser and the trees are healthier than before,” Mr. Dan shared.

Currently, his family's 20-year-old, 1-hectare coffee garden continues to perform well, yielding nearly 6 tons of green beans in 2025. According to him, applying the "4 Rights" principle in fertilizer use not only increases profits but also helps protect the long-term production environment.

According to Dr. Phan Viet Ha, Deputy Director in charge of the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science and Technology Institute, reducing input costs is a vital solution to help the coffee sector strengthen its competitive edge amid persistently volatile material prices. More importantly, precise nutrient management remains the key to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and satisfying the sustainable development standards required by international markets.

Alongside the rational use of fertilizers, solutions such as water-saving irrigation, increasing the use of organic fertilizers, planting shade trees, and intercropping are strongly encouraged to enhance carbon absorption, improve soil fertility, and boost the resilience of farming systems to the impacts of climate change.

As agriculture is moving toward green growth, emission reduction, and sustainable development, these models in the Central Highlands demonstrate that the transformation path is entirely feasible. From simple adjustments in fertilizing, watering, or managing orchards, a modern, efficient, and environment-friendly agricultural sector is step-by-step taking shape on this basalt red soil region.