New plant variety in Vietnam: Sachi - king of nuts

Thanks to its invaluable nutritional value, Sachi has usurped the "throne" of olive oil, which is considered the most premium vegetable oil ever known to mankind.

Sachi fruit

In the scorching heat of the days when the temperature outside sometimes reaches 48ºC, hidden in the experimental area of ​​the Faculty of Biotechnology - Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, there is a plant that still steadfastly withstands the harsh weather: Sachi. The plant has crossed the ocean to come here from another continent.

Thanks to the consecutive international awards won, the demand for Sachi oil and seeds is increasing. Currently, Peru's exports (the world's leading country in terms of area) are still mainly in the US, Europe and Japan, while other markets are still open because the supply is not enough to meet the demand. Sacha Inchi is also known as Sacha peanut, Inca Inchi, Penut inca... when bringing this plant variety to Vietnam, for easy remembering and suitable for the purpose of exporting products to the world, the plant was named Sachi.

The scientific name of Sachi is Plukenetia volubilis L, a plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae (castor) family. It consists of 19 species, originating from the Amazon rainforest distributed from Bolivia to Mexico but most commonly in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. On days when the outdoor temperature sometimes reaches 48ºC, there is a plant that still steadfastly endures. The leaves are still green, the flowers still bloom and the fruits still peek out like five-pointed stars on the trellis. That is the Sachi experimental garden of Sachi Vina Joint Stock Company under Tam Hoang Viet Group in collaboration with scientists from the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture and the National Center for Testing and Testing of Plant Varieties and Products.

Sachi has a very exciting history of discovery. Sachi has been used by the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest for 3,000 years to maintain strength and survive in a harsh natural environment. On the stone tablets of the ancient tombs of the Incas here, there are carvings of this fruit spreading out like five petals. For the indigenous people, Sachi is considered as the "source of courage" or "tree of life" because of the invaluable nutritional value it brings.

Much later, scientists of the modern world, when analyzing the nutritional composition of the seed that the Incas worshiped, were amazed. "King of seeds", "New superfood" ... are phrases often used to talk about Sachi seeds because the rate of digestion of nutrients and unsaturated fatty acids for humans is very high, reaching 96%. Omega 3 in Sachi is 48-54%, helping to develop and enhance intelligence, reduce cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, balance nerve cells, and reduce the risk of sudden death caused by cardiovascular disease. Omega 6 accounts for 35-37% and plays a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, regulating blood pressure, improving intelligence, reducing brain degeneration, and enhancing vision. Omega-9 (6-10%) has the effect of preventing cardiovascular disorders and high blood pressure ...

Compared to other oil plants, Sachi has the highest omega content, especially omega 3, 17 times higher than fish oil, nearly 50 times higher than olive oil. Sachi was awarded the title "Best Cooking Oil in the World" in Paris (France) in 2007, and is sought after by the most demanding markets such as the US, Europe, and Japan. In addition to omega, Sachi also contains antioxidants such as Vitamin A and Vitamin E, some essential amino acids and proteins. These are important ingredients in regenerating and improving skin and hair, physical and intellectual development, partly helping South America become one of the cradles of the world's models and beauty queens.

Thanks to these nutrients, it has usurped the "throne" of olive oil, which is considered the most premium vegetable oil ever known to mankind. The nutritional industry uses Sachi to make products from seeds and nutritional powders. The pharmaceutical industry uses Sachi oil to make capsules, and uses the leaves to make herbal tea. The food industry uses Sachi oil to mix high-end salads, and the shoots can be used as vegetables. The cosmetic industry uses it to nourish the skin, hair, and protect beauty...

In the blink of an eye, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao - Head of the Faculty of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture has been testing the Sachi tree for nearly 2 years (since March 2014). With a survival rate of 99%, starting to flower after 3-5 months of planting, and harvesting fruit after 6-8 months, it proves that this semi-woody climbing plant (the top is a vine, the base is woody) is quite suitable for Vietnam. Regarding productivity, the first year is 0.7-1 ton/ha and the second year is being monitored but will certainly be much higher. The peak productivity of Sachi is from the third year onwards, reaching 5-7 tons/ha depending on the planting density. The tree's lifespan can reach 15-30 years, making the harvest cycle very long. Initially, some domestic scientists found this new plant interesting, so they went to the garden to learn about it, including an agricultural professor who had previously studied in Peru. Almost every week he visits and gives advice on appropriate care techniques. Sachi is a forest tree so its vitality is strong. From planting to 5 months old, there is no need to fertilize, only fertilize once when it flowers.

According to research, the content of omega 3, 6, 9 in Sachi seeds grown in Vietnam when analyzed is equivalent, and some samples are even higher than those grown in Peru. Not only suitable for soil conditions with high organic content, thick cultivation layer, this plant can also be grown on many types of soil such as red basalt soil, gray soil, sandy loam soil, ancient alluvial soil..., the plant can even grow normally in poor rocky mountain soil such as Tam Diep area (Ninh Binh). Sachi trees can be grown in monoculture, intercropping, intensive or extensive cultivation. Initial results show that this plant has quite good potential for development in Vietnam.

All indicators from planting to flowering, fruiting, and harvesting are similar to those in the native country of Peru. When planting Sachi, people can make the most of local materials such as bamboo, wood, indigo, etc. to make stakes and trellises. In addition to planting by seeds, the Faculty of Biotechnology - Vietnam Academy of Agriculture has developed a process for rapidly propagating Sachi by cell tissue culture. This study has initially developed an invitro propagation process with the effectiveness of creating a source of materials with a high and fast shoot multiplication coefficient that meets the standards. However, it is necessary to continue researching and perfecting the process at the stage of creating complete plants, improving the rooting rate as well as the stage after tissue culture...

According to NongNghiep.vn