Utilizing natural vegetation to enhance the health of forest soil

Fertilizer for forest trees

Binh Dinh province currently houses over 130,000 hectares of planted forests, with approximately 10,000 hectares harvested and replanted each year. Post-harvest forest vegetation was previously cleared and burned to make space for new planting holes. During heatwaves, vegetation burning posed a high risk of forest fires. Additionally, the smoke and dust from vegetation burning activities caused significant air pollution.

At present, forest owners in Binh Dinh province have abandoned the practice of forest vegetation burning after harvesting. As an alternative, they chop the vegetation into small pieces, and spread them onto new forest planting beds to create humus, thereby loosening the forest soil and improving its health.

Song Kon Forestry Company Limited, located in Vinh Thanh district, Binh Dinh province, currently manages nearly 1,500 hectares of planted forests, with approximately 120 to 150 hectares harvested and replanted each year.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Dao, Chairman of Song Kon Forestry Company Limited, for forests planted on slopes and disease-free land, the company chops the vegetation into small pieces after harvesting, and spreads them onto new forest planting beds. This alternative approach helps retain the vegetation layer on the forest soil to reduce erosion. Moreover, this layer of vegetation facilitates the creation of humus; thereby loosening the soil, and providing nutrients for new forest trees.

"To limit the amount of forest vegetation after harvesting, we must clear vegetation two years prior to the harvesting cycle. By the time these forests reach their harvesting cycle, the previously cleared vegetation would have decomposed, covering the soil with a layer of humus that acts as fertilizer for the next forest planting season. During harvesting, there will be fewer branches and twigs, which will make the process easier.

Conversely, if we only clear the vegetation at the time of harvest, the amount will be considerable, making the creation of paths for new planting very labor-intensive. Dry vegetation also poses a fire risk and can harbor pests that are harmful to new forest trees," shared Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dao.

Dual benefits

Le Hung Doanh, a resident of Tan Vinh village, Canh Vinh commune, Van Canh district, Binh Dinh province, recently finished processing a significant volume of forest vegetation on his 2-hectare plantation and on a large forest area that he contracted for timber harvesting. After following the non-burning vegetation processing method for over three years, Doanh saw practical and tangible results. He received training in this method from Quy Nhon Forestry Company Limited.

"The forest looks cleaner if we gather and burn the vegetation; the downside is that the soil will erode under heavy rain. However, if we chop the vegetation into small pieces and then spread them evenly on the ground, they will help retain the forest's organic matter. The decomposing vegetation adds nutrients to the soil. As a result, the newly planted forest trees will experience strong growth by the second year," Doanh explained.

According to Tran Nguyen Tu, Chairman of Quy Nhon Forestry Company Limited, various local and outside-the-province forest owners and forestry companies have visited Binh Dinh to study this method. The German organization GFA GmbH, which issues the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for sustainable forest management, has praised the company's non-burning vegetation processing approach during their annual evaluations of the FSC certification.

"Managing forest vegetation without burning prevents fires from spreading to adjacent forest areas, and eliminates smoke and dust from the burning process. This approach promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices in accordance with with sustainable forest management principles," commented Chairman Tran Nguyen Tu.

“Japan, one of Vietnam's top export destinations for wood products, has raised the requirements for imported pellets' quality and sustainable development factors in 2023.

According to new regulations set by the European Union, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber products originating from degraded forested areas are barred from entry into this market. If forest growers want to export wood and wood products to Japan, Korea, the US and the EU, they must improve their management of post-harvest organic materials in an environmentally friendly manner", emphasized Hoang Thi Nguyen Hai from Biomass Fuel Vietnam Co., Ltd.