The story of the 'father' of the 3-stage clonal cassava variety in Tan Ky.

Passion for research

I met Mr. Vu Duc Dung, currently a technical officer at the Tan Ky District Agricultural Service Center, on the last day of the year, right when the model for growing disease-free cassava varieties that he and his colleagues had researched had proven successful.

Sharing his story of how he came to cultivate cassava, Mr. Dung said: "Nghe An province has great potential for developing cassava cultivation, providing raw materials for cassava starch processing factories in the province. However, farmers have long faced the problem of cassava plants being infected with cassava mosaic disease, which reduces yield and quality. Meanwhile, there is no solution to overcome cassava mosaic disease. Therefore, I was concerned about how to produce disease-free cassava varieties to help farmers produce with peace of mind and bring profits."

In early 2020, along with several colleagues in the agricultural sector, Mr. Dung began dedicating his time and resources to researching disease-free cassava varieties. Amidst a severe outbreak of cassava mosaic disease in Tan Ky district, he traveled to heavily infected cassava fields, selected 15 disease-free plants, and brought them back to plant experimentally in his garden. The initial results led to the selection of two disease-free cassava lines.

"To obtain disease-free cassava seedlings using the three-stage asexual propagation method, many steps are required. First, we must find disease-free mother plants, then process the cuttings... During the propagation process, we must constantly monitor the development of the cassava plants at each stage," Mr. Dung said.

In April 2021, he contacted the Institute of Agricultural Genetics and received eight cassava lines from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to plant alongside his own two lines. The goal was to select a cassava variety suitable for the soil and climate conditions of Tan Ky district. After a trial planting period, the results were promising; the two cassava varieties, HN1 and HN5, showed superior characteristics, good disease resistance, and higher yield and quality compared to the previously planted varieties.

Since then, he has utilized 3 hectares of his family's hilly land, and from 2020 to the present, he has been planting his two disease-free cassava varieties as a model. This has shown that the average cassava yield reaches 40 tons/ha, while the cassava varieties previously planted by farmers only yield 23 tons/ha; the quality of the cassava is also higher, with a starch content of over 28%, meeting the raw material requirements of processing plants.

In 2024, Mr. Dung participated in a project commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology to apply scientific and technological advancements to the trial cultivation of several disease-resistant cassava varieties in Nghe An province.

Accordingly, the Department of Science and Technology provided 40% of the funding, and the project was implemented on an area of ​​6 hectares, with 3 models, including: 1 model in a greenhouse; 1 model of 3 hectares for producing cassava seedlings at households in Tien Ky commune (Tan Ky district) and Tho Son commune (Anh Son district); and intensive cultivation of cassava varieties resistant to mosaic disease on nearly 3 hectares in Tan Ky town and Nghia Phuc and Tien Ky communes…

To obtain these two disease-free cassava varieties, agricultural expert Vu Duc Dung had to put in a tremendous amount of effort to complete the enormous workload. He meticulously selected and planted each cutting, carefully choosing them. Anyone who witnesses each step in the seed selection process can truly appreciate Dung's dedication to the cassava crop.

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Having been involved in plant protection for 32 years, my personal desire is to do something that benefits farmers. Therefore, for the past four years, after work or on weekends, friends and family often see me trudging through cassava fields dozens of kilometers from home, sometimes working until late at night. Many people advise me to rest and take care of my health, but I always tell myself I can't give up.

Master of Agriculture Vu Duc Dung

Cassava cultivation has also rewarded the burning passion of agricultural expert Vu Duc Dung, as his successfully developed disease-free cassava variety has been well-received by farmers and quickly received orders from many localities. He expects to supply hundreds of thousands of disease-free cassava cuttings for farmers to plant in the upcoming cassava season.

Successful initiatives to control cassava mosaic disease.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, stated: "High-yield cassava is a familiar crop that has been a companion to farmers in Nghe An for many years. High-yield cassava products not only provide raw materials for cassava starch factories in the province, but also help farmers in mountainous areas earn income."

Every year, the province's cassava cultivation area is around 10,000 hectares, but cassava mosaic disease infects approximately 3,000 hectares, causing significant losses for many farmers. This is an alarming situation for high-yield cassava crops, for which there has long been no effective control solution.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc also affirmed that agricultural expert Vu Duc Dung was the first person in Nghe An province to research and select two cassava varieties resistant to cassava mosaic disease that are suitable for Nghe An's ecological conditions, and which are now being widely propagated.

At the end of November, the Tan Ky District Council for the Acceptance of Innovative Experiences recognized the solution for controlling cassava mosaic disease developed by Mr. Vu Duc Dung and his colleagues. Talking with Mr. Dung, I clearly sensed a simple, approachable, diligent, and creative agricultural official. He also expressed his heartfelt commitment to following President Ho Chi Minh's saying: "Whatever benefits the people, do it with all your might."