Improvements in Mekong delta intensive rice cultivation 

A project on finding suitable techniques in intensive rice cultivation in Mekong delta was among those receiving Ho Chi Minh Prize last year. It was carried out by a group of scientists and research workers of the Mekong Delta Rice Institute (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) located in O Mon district, Can Tho.

These include Professor and Doctor Nguyen Van Luat, Labour Hero and former director of the institute; Associate Professor and Doctor Bui Ba Bong, director of the institute; Associate Professor and Doctor Bui Chi Buu, deputy head of the institute; engineer Nguyen Van Loan, department of rice varieties creation and selection; Doctor Pham Van Ro, head of the department of rice varieties creation and selection; Doctor Luong Minh Chau, head of plant protection department; Doctor Pham Si Tan, head of cultivation research department; Doctor Duong Van Chin, head of plant research department; Doctor Le Van Banh, head of agricultural machinery and electricity department and director of school of agriculture and rural development.

The group created 62 new varieties of high quality rice suitable with the ecological conditions in Mekong delta through the application of methods of strain selecting and cross-breeding. Of these, there are some varieties close to international qualifications, especially short-term varieties such as OMCS 90 and MOCS94. The group also put into application a number of technical methods like line-sowed planting which contributes to improving the productivity and reducing costs for each area.

These improvements have positively changed the season structure of rice planting to avoid floods, increase crops, productivity and yield in the Mekong delta, thus contributing to ensure national food security and export value.

Significantly the project has added hundreds of rice varieties to the rice gene funds in Vietnam and the world.

By LINH NAM