Economy

Lesson 4: Preserving rare genetic resources in the Western region

Economic Reporting Team • December 5, 2024 13:52

Western Nghe An province is rich in natural beauty and boasts the largest world biosphere reserve in the country, spanning many districts. Regarding native plant genetic resources, there are varieties of glutinous rice, superior rice varieties, golden flower tea, Quy cinnamon, Shan Tuyet tea, black pigs, axe-headed cattle, catfish, peaches, plums, ginger, etc., which have adapted to the natural conditions over hundreds of years. These products have preserved their dominant genes and given rise to unique products...

After extensive fieldwork in the deep forests and high mountains, a team of officials from the Department of Science and Technology found Puxailaileng ginseng in its natural habitat and brought it back for experimental cultivation in Tay Son commune, Ky Son district. Puxailaileng ginseng is a rare and precious type of ginseng belonging to the Araliaceae family, found in the high mountains of Puxailaileng in the Truong Son mountain range, where forest cover exceeds 80%. Currently, Puxailaileng ginseng in its natural habitat is becoming increasingly scarce and is facing the risk of extinction.

The discovery of Panax ginseng in the high mountains of Puxailaileng, Nghe An province, is considered a treasure, of great scientific and practical significance. Immediately after finding this precious ginseng, samples were analyzed by scientists in Hanoi for their agro-biological characteristics, medicinal value, propagation methods, and cultivation techniques. Analysis showed that the moisture content and free sugar content of the two Puxailaileng ginseng samples were higher than those of Ngoc Linh ginseng; Puxailaileng ginseng also contained relatively high levels of the saponin compounds Ginsenosid Rg1, Ginsenosid Rb1, and Majonosid R2. Currently, Puxailaileng ginseng is very rare in nature.

Previously, after successfully preserving some of the plants, the Department of Science and Technology propagated them and transferred them to TH Group for monitoring and care in Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son district). Due to the valuable properties of Puxailaileng ginseng, and recognizing the necessity of continued propagation and preservation, the Department of Science and Technology is planning to further propagate and preserve this medicinal plant.

Mr. Nguyen Quy Linh, Director of the Department of Science and Technology, said: “Puxailaileng ginseng grows on Puxailaileng mountain (part of the Truong Son mountain range), in Ky Son district, at an altitude of over 2,700m above sea level. Scientists have assessed its quality as being no less than Ngoc Linh ginseng in Quang Nam and Kon Tum. The Department is planning to build a smart farm system in Thai Hoa town and introduce Puxailaileng ginseng for cultivation in greenhouses, using tissue culture technology for propagation.”

At the TH Group's medicinal plant conservation station in Na Ngoi and Muong Long communes (Ky Son district), dozens of medicinal plant varieties, including: golden flower tea, purple dendrobium orchid, codonopsis pilosula, Japanese angelica, seven-leaf one-flower ginseng, Lai Chau ginseng, northern tam thất (Panax notoginseng), Ky Son ginger, chrysanthemum, etc., are being propagated and developed. The purple dendrobium orchid, in particular, is being grown by attaching it to the trunk of an ancient tree. This orchid, recorded as having been favored by Empress Dowager Cixi (Qing Dynasty, China) since ancient times, is currently being tissue-cultured with tens of thousands of plants ready for harvest. At an altitude of nearly 2,700 meters above sea level, the pristine forests with their clean air and dense carpet of decaying leaves provide an effective environment for cultivating medicinal plants. Scientists are installing temperature and light measuring devices to monitor the growth and development of plants, applying biotechnology to cultivation, and utilizing nutrients from nature, promising to open up a new medicinal plant industry for western Nghe An province.

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Based on available data from biodiversity surveys of genetic resources conducted by research institutes and universities, the Nghe An Center for Application of Advanced Science and Technology also conducts surveys of the reserves of rare and valuable genetic resources with economic value and potential for conservation. From 2021 to the present, the center has identified eight more genetic resources to add to the conservation list, including the Quang River spiny softshell turtle, the warty frog in Que Phong district, the black sea cucumber in Nghi Tien sea area (Nghi Loc), the turkey in Ky Son district, the Gynostemma pentaphyllum, the blood vine, and the stemona; and one fruit tree genetic resource, the Vinh City persimmon (Nghi An commune, Nghi Duc district).

Based on the results of that survey, localities have implemented conservation projects such as: "Building a conservation model for the Quang River softshell turtle in Que Phong district", "Building a model for breeding native roses in Vinh city", "Applying scientific and technological advancements to build a model for breeding, planting and processing some products from the Gynostemma pentaphyllum plant in Con Cuong district"...

Nghe An province has the largest area of ​​forest and forestry land in the country. The province currently has 1.008 million hectares of forested land, including 173,900 hectares of mature forest and 45,840 hectares of planted forest, of which 789,000 hectares are natural forest. Nghe An is assessed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as one of the provinces with the best and largest forest cover in the country, at nearly 60%. To date, the province has 24,692 hectares of forest certified under the VFCS/PEFC and FSC sustainable forest management standards (including 21,783.72 hectares of planted forest and 2,908.106 hectares of natural forest). This is an important condition for Nghe An to export timber abroad and to develop into a wood processing center for the North Central region.

One of the requirements for timber exports is that forest seedlings must have a verifiable origin and must be scientifically cultivated and monitored. Therefore, Nghe An province is facing challenges in producing forestry seedlings using tissue culture methods due to the high costs. Since 2019, Song Hieu Forestry and Agricultural Company Limited has organized study tours for its staff and workers to learn about successful forest economic development models; simultaneously, it has shifted to planting large timber trees, aiming for carbon credit harvesting. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoang – General Director of Song Hieu Forestry and Agricultural Company Limited – shared: “The company organized visits to learn from the experience of producing forestry seedlings using tissue culture in Hue and at the Forestry Seed Institute. Thanks to these trials, each unit recognized the differences and advantages of planting forests using tissue culture seedlings compared to cuttings. The company chose Dong Hop Forestry Station to organize the production of seedlings from tissue culture to supply to its member units.”

Due to limited facilities, the company receives acacia seedlings from the Forestry Seed Institute, initially the size of a toothpick, for cultivation. Mr. Cao Cu Luc, Director of Dong Hop Forestry Farm, shared: "The workers were accustomed to producing seedlings using simple cuttings, so switching to tissue culture seedlings was very difficult. In the first season, the mortality rate was high. The reason was that the tissue-cultured seedlings were very small. During cultivation, heavy rain or excessive watering would cause waterlogging, and conversely, too much sun without protection would burn the seedlings, and cold rain would also kill them. After two years of guidance and learning from experience, the forestry farm has now mastered the technique of propagating acacia seedlings from tissue culture, producing nearly 1 million seedlings annually for local farmers."

The Song Hieu Forestry and Agriculture Corporation stated: Along with the Dong Hop Forestry Station, other forestry stations also select high-quality acacia seedlings for propagation using cuttings. With nearly 7,500 hectares of planted forest, the corporation plants approximately 350 hectares of raw material forest annually using tissue-cultured seedlings. However, "you get what you pay for," high-quality forest seedlings, after 6-7 years of planting, will yield a harvest with a productivity of 120 tons/ha, resulting in a higher efficiency of more than 20ha/ton compared to acacia planted using cuttings. When grown into mature timber forests, their value will double.

Leveraging the immense biological value of the Pù Mát primary forest, Pù Mát National Park has been implementing three biodiversity conservation projects. Specifically, in 2023, a model for developing medicinal and edible mushrooms was established within Pù Mát National Park. As a result, the park successfully produced Ga2 reishi mushroom and Pn1 oyster mushroom varieties. For the Ga2 reishi mushroom variety, 46 first-generation spawn tubes have been produced (92% success rate), and 93 second-generation spawn bottles (93% success rate). Similarly, for the Pn1 oyster mushroom variety, 10 first-generation spawn tubes have been produced (100% success rate), 19 second-generation spawn bottles (95% success rate), and 45 third-generation spawn bags (90% success rate). The advantage of the Pn1 oyster mushroom variety is its good pest and disease resistance, and its ability to grow and develop in multiple seasons throughout the year.

The park has also successfully produced and developed two models for cultivating Ganoderma lucidum (Ga2) and oyster mushrooms (Pn1) commercially within Pù Mát National Park. A representative from Pù Mát National Park stated: In addition to the projects with initial results, the park is currently implementing a project applying scientific and technological advancements to develop models for cultivating three-pronged ginseng and Southern ginseng under the forest canopy in the buffer zone, and a model for propagating and cultivating purple rehmannia and sand ginseng under the forest canopy in the buffer zone of Pù Mát National Park.

Similarly, in the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve (Que Phong), with the advantage of managing 86,000 hectares of natural forest, including many rare native forest tree species such as ironwood, rosewood, and especially cinnamon, mu tun, and binh voi trees... Therefore, the conservation of biodiversity and the development of these valuable species are of great concern to Que Phong district.

Dr. Nguyen Van Sinh, Director of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, shared: "Along with managing and protecting the natural forest area, one of the unit's priorities is preserving and propagating rare native trees. Currently, the unit has a 3-hectare nursery in Na Chong village, Dong Van commune, which plants about 100,000 seedlings of various types including cinnamon, teak, cypress, hybrid acacia, etc., each year. From 2022 to the present, the unit has received support from the Department of Science and Technology to build a nursery for plant species such as Stephania tetrandra, Terminalia catappa, and golden tea. From the end of 2023, the People's Committee of Que Phong district ordered nearly 50,000 cinnamon seedlings to supply to communes for planting in the upcoming spring season. In addition to these models, Que Phong district also allocates nearly 400 million VND annually to support models for preserving native plant species such as the short-necked Muscovy duck breed in Chau Thon commune and raising native free-range chickens in Nam Giai commune." The district is also expanding the cultivation of specialty Japonica rice, golden flower tea, and upland sticky rice as commodities to supply the city. Que Phong district is proposing that the Department of Science and Technology include the model of raising spiny softshell turtles in Muong Qua, Chau Thon commune, in a conservation project for breeding purposes.

Mr. Bui Van Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Que Phong District, assessed: Biotechnology may seem "far-fetched" to the local people, but it turns out that for a long time, the district and the people have been quietly carrying out familiar tasks associated with the local potential and strengths, producing OCOP (One Commune One Product) goods. In parallel with allocating capital from the poverty reduction program to support ethnic minorities, since 2022, the district has also secured 1.22 billion VND from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement 5 livelihood creation models for people in 2 buffer zone communes of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve. After 2 years of implementing the sustainable livelihood creation model for the 2 buffer zone communes of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve within the framework of the UNDP-funded project, 421 out of 421 households (100%) in 8 villages and 2 communes (Dong Van and Thong Thu) have participated. The project has involved planting, protecting, caring for, and sustainably harvesting 138.8 hectares of golden flower tea; planting, protecting, and sustainably harvesting 1,487.3 hectares of bamboo and 19 hectares of bamboo; and planting and sustainably harvesting 90.8 hectares of bon bo trees. Scientists, farmers, the government, and United Nations organizations are working together for a greener environment, preserving nature, helping people to be more in harmony with nature, and considering nature as "mother's milk."