How to 'save' Vinh orange production area

Some orange growing areas in Minh Hop commune (Quy Hop) have withered due to disease. Photo: Van Truong.

Many shortcomings

Nghe An is a province with natural conditions of land and climate suitable for the development of orange trees, especially the basalt soil in the western districts such as Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Tan Ky, etc. The high economic value of orange trees has long been affirmed, so the province has planned to become a concentrated production area. To develop orange trees, the province has issued a number of policies and mechanisms for development related to orange trees.

However, over time, orange growing areas have encountered problems. Many orange growing areas in Nghe An are degenerating, infected with disease, dying, and have low quality and productivity.

Orange tree seed production in the province is mainly done by organizations and individuals who propagate for planting or buy from other localities without controlling the quality of the origin. The varieties sold on the market are not labeled according to regulations so the origin cannot be traced.

Most of the remaining orange gardens in Phu Quy area (Quy Hop) have low productivity and poor quality. Photo: Van Truong.

The inspection and examination of the quality of orange seed sources still faces many difficulties because the samples of the seedlings have not been taken for inspection. The grafted branches and grafted buds are taken from mother trees that are not grown in isolation in a closed house or net house, so the disease cannot be controlled.

State management of orange planning is still inadequate, leading to many areas where people grow oranges spontaneously, without following the plan. Planting on land planned for other crops, even on poor land, causes the trees to grow poorly, with low productivity and quality.

For pest control, orange growers abuse chemical pesticides by increasing the number of sprays, concentration and dosage. Combining many types of pesticides at the same time makes pests resistant to the chemicals, causing them to appear and cause damage more frequently.

According to a survey by the Nghe An Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, on average, orange producers use pesticides and growth stimulants 16-22 times per year.

Some orange growing areas in Quy Hop district have switched to growing other crops to restore the soil. Photo: Van Truong.

Currently, orange products are mainly consumed by people themselves or by traders, so prices are unstable. There have not been many product chains linking producers to businesses consuming the products.

Despite the “Vinh Orange” brand, there are still some orange garden owners who do not affix electronic traceability stamps, so low-quality orange products are mixed in and cannot be controlled. Many low-quality orange varieties have been planted in the past but have not been replaced by new varieties with good yield and quality.

Which way for orange trees?

A long-time orange grower in Minh Hop commune (Quy Hop) shared: Faced with the loss situation due to orange trees in recent years, we hope that specialized agencies need to have research solutions to guide people to restore the land, soon replant new orange varieties to develop a stable orange growing area.

Mr. Truong Van Bien - owner of an orange grower in Dong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) said that, in addition to the issue of seedlings, post-planting care plays a decisive role in productivity and quality. According to Mr. Bien, to effectively prevent pests on orange trees and not affect the soil environment, orange growers need to research and produce pesticides using biological products for use.

Regarding fertilizers, in addition to organic fertilizers, it is necessary to choose good quality chemical fertilizers to apply in moderate quantities, and not to apply too much. “I have 5 hectares of 8-year-old oranges. Every year, thanks to the use of biological pesticides, the orange garden grows well, has few pests and diseases, and does not affect the air and soil environment,” said Mr. Truong Van Bien.

Developing orange growing areas in Yen Thanh district. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Le Van Hong - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Thanh district said: Yen Thanh district currently has over 200 hectares of oranges, mainly concentrated in the communes of Dong Thanh, Minh Thanh, Xuan Thanh. Currently, the orange acreage of Yen Thanh district is mainly 10 - 12 years old, not yet reaching the cycle of land degradation, however, the district directs the communes growing oranges to implement "re-cultivation" measures to restore orange gardens. Specifically, focusing on using organic fertilizers, limiting the use of pesticides, using biological products to control pests.

Talking to agricultural experts, Mr. Doan Tri Tue said that the main reason why many orange areas are infected with diseases is because the seedlings are not guaranteed to be disease-free. Therefore, in order for Vinh oranges to grow well, achieve high productivity and good quality, the first thing to do is to manage the seedlings well. Nghe An needs to have a facility to produce quality, disease-free orange seedlings to supply enough for orange growers. At the same time, oranges are plants that need water, but are not adapted to waterlogged conditions.

Therefore, orange growers should not plant on land with too high slopes or too low land. Finally, it is necessary to thoroughly treat infected orange trees. Currently, orange trees in Nghe An are infected with two main diseases: Greening disease and root rot, yellow leaves, and fruit drop. Both of these diseases currently exist and develop in orange areas in Nghe An. To treat the disease, first of all, the variety must be disease-free. If the tree is infected, it must be detected promptly and the roots must be dug up, burned, limed, and covered.

In order to make Nghe An one of the provinces that develops concentrated commodity oranges with good productivity and quality, protecting and developing the "Vinh Orange" brand, Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection said: Linking the orange planting planning of districts and communes with the general project of the province, not spreading out but needing to concentrate into commodity production areas associated with processing facilities is extremely necessary.

In addition, it is necessary to do a good job of preserving the gene pool and perfecting the orange variety production process; importing high-quality orange varieties with different harvest times during the year than Xa Doai orange, Valencia orange, BH orange to spread the crop... Strengthen propaganda and mobilize producers to eliminate old varieties, old orange gardens and disease-infected gardens, and replace them with disease-free grafted varieties.

For newly planted and replanted gardens, apply synchronously the seed selection process from institutes and research centers to ensure quality, apply planting and care processes according to the procedures issued by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, increase the use of manure, organic fertilizers, microbial organic fertilizers, IPM pest management, cultivation measures, pruning to create canopy, mulching to keep the roots moist during the hot, dry season, install water-saving irrigation systems...

Phenomenon of Vinh oranges falling en masse in Nghe An. Photo: Quang An

Orange trees should only be planted on slopes below 25 degrees.⁰, areas with slopes from 10 - 25⁰It is necessary to create contour lines, apply techniques to keep grass in the garden, and intercrop trees to limit erosion, leaching, and increase economic efficiency; on the top of the hill, it is necessary to keep forests to block the wind and keep the soil moist.

For ineffective orange gardens, it is necessary to improve the soil, increase organic fertilizers, organic microorganisms, not overuse chemical fertilizers, pesticides, apply integrated pest management measures (IPM), etc. to restore the orange garden and increase production efficiency.

Specialized management agencies have increased inspections of fruit tree production and trading establishments. Orange seedlings in circulation on the market must have labels with traceability and origin.

People are advised to buy seedlings at reputable trading establishments, research institutes and research centers to ensure the quality of seedlings.

Regarding plant protection, it is necessary to organize well the investigation, estimation and forecasting of pests on orange trees, thereby proposing effective pest control solutions, especially some dangerous pests such as Greening disease, red spider...

Strengthen training, coaching, propaganda, guidance, transfer of scientific and technical advances, and integrated pest management measures on orange trees. Strengthen inspection and examination of organizations and individuals trading in plant protection drugs, strictly control the types of drugs used on orange trees, and strictly handle organizations and individuals violating the State's laws on trading in plant protection drugs...