Effective solution for Hung Nguyen alluvial land

(Baonghean) -The alluvial land downstream of Lam River in Hung Nguyen District is mainly composed of ancient alluvium and annual alluvium. Before the 1990s, there were nearly 1,000 hectares of land, the soil here is very suitable for annual crops such as corn, peanuts, beans, millet, sesame, vegetables, etc. The actual yield of crops here is very high, thanks to the rich fertility and annual alluvium.

According to local people, in the past, floods mainly concentrated in late September and early October, and droughts rarely occurred in the summer. Based on the relatively stable weather, people could proactively cultivate 2 to 3 crops per year. However, in recent years, due to the impact of climate change and illegal sand mining, the flow has changed, many areas have been eroded, and some areas have become sand and are no longer cultivable. In addition, the irrigation system has not been invested in, and the water supply for crops mainly depends on rainfall. In the summer-autumn crop, low groundwater levels and hot weather cause severe drought in the early stages of seedlings. At the end of the crop, floods often come early, causing damage to crop yield and output.

According to the reported data, the area of ​​alluvial land in the lower Lam River is currently only about 700 hectares, belonging to 9 communes: Hung Linh, Hung Long, Hung Xa, Hung Xuan, Hung Lam, Hung Khanh, Hung Chau, Hung Loi, Hung Nhan. Of which, the winter-spring crop has cultivated more than 500 hectares, mainly the structure of crops such as corn, peanuts, vegetables of all kinds; the remaining about 200 hectares have a high sand ratio, or are in disputed areas, the boundary is unclear with Ha Tinh, farmers rarely cultivate.

Alluvial land in Hung Lam commune (Hung Nguyen) cannot be produced in the summer-autumn crop.
for lack of water

The average spring corn yield in the alluvial land in the past 3 years has ranged from 50 - 55 quintals/ha; peanut yield has ranged from 22 - 23 quintals/ha. In the summer-autumn crop, most of the alluvial land is left fallow and used as grazing land. The cultivated alluvial land area is only about 180 - 220 ha, mainly concentrated in Hung Nhan, Hung Lam, Hung Khanh, Hung Chau... The main crops are beans, with a yield of 6 - 8 quintals/ha; sesame 5 - 6 quintals/ha; millet 10 - 12 quintals/ha.

The problem is that the revenue from cultivating 2 crops per year is quite high, but why is the summer-autumn production area on alluvial land increasingly narrowing? Some rotation formulas and new crop models such as high-yield spring-summer chili, stevia, millet... have very high revenue, why can't they be expanded?

To produce effectively on the fertile land of Hung Nguyen alluvial plain, first of all, rely on the advantage of the available water source of Lam River, mobilize all resources to invest in completing the irrigation system for the alluvial plain. Apply water supply technology by plastic pipes, to avoid the consequences of sand filling up canals every year. Solving this problem is the key factor, will proactively rearrange the crop schedule, avoid drought, avoid floods, ensure effective, safe and sustainable production; combine investment in roads, electricity system. For some special alluvial plains where it is not possible to build a canal system, issue a policy to support farmers to drill wells and pump water for production.

Second, review, compile statistics on the current status and master plan for irrigation systems, transportation systems, electricity, soil assessment to determine main crops and main production seasons for each region; plan areas specifically for large-scale livestock farming. Carry out land consolidation, overcome the situation of small and fragmented plots, create favorable conditions for the application of mechanization; encourage households with sufficient capacity to invest in building farms for crop production combined with livestock farming, take advantage of river and creek water surfaces to develop aquatic resources.

Third, increase the land use coefficient, expand the area of ​​2 crops/year, rearrange the crop schedule. Focus on directing early sowing of some winter-spring crops such as corn, peanuts, potatoes, stevia, etc. to harvest at the end of February, early March of the solar calendar, having time to proactively do the spring-summer crop, not producing the summer-autumn crop. Depending on the farming practices and advantages of each region, the spring-summer crop structure is: green beans, soybeans, sesame, high-yield chili, millet, etc. Especially, some highland areas in the communes of Hung Nhan, Hung Khanh, Hung Lam, Hung Linh, Hung Long, etc. adjust the crop schedule to arrange additional production in the winter crop to achieve 3 crops/year. The winter crop mainly grows corn, various vegetables (squash, bitter melon, various cabbages, etc.); some lowland areas near the river should only grow 2 crops: winter corn - spring peanuts. Innovate the organization and direction of production, unify and synchronize the seasons, especially the alluvial lands bordering the communes, in order to manage and protect crops well, avoid the situation where some localities do not produce, let livestock roam freely, causing damage to crops. Invest in scientific research funds, carry out some experiments on seasonal shifts; study the hydrological laws of Lam River; experiment with some new crop varieties to organize seminars, evaluate, create a scientific and practical basis to restructure the seasons, arrange a reasonable crop structure, and have solutions to prevent land degradation. Localities proactively cooperate with enterprises to sign contracts, select some crops with high economic value to organize production, and consume products for farmers. Take advantage of state support to invest in building anti-erosion embankments for some key areas with high risk of landslides... at the same time, organize and mobilize people to plant bamboo to block waves, limit landslides.

In short, to restructure the production of the alluvial land in the lower Lam River, it is necessary to have initial support from the state in investing in infrastructure for transportation, electricity, irrigation, organizing surveys to collect basic data, researching hydrology, seasons, etc. Taking advantage of the opinions of scientists, managers, etc., proactively making plans, projects, and roadmaps for economic development in the alluvial land, clearly identifying the main crops, to organize and direct production, and encourage organizations and individuals to invest in building a number of integrated crop and livestock farms.

Article and photos: Hoang An (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development)