High-tech agriculture: Solution to cope with climate change

(Baonghean) - In recent years, agricultural production in Nghe An has developed quite comprehensively and in the right direction. However, Nghe An's agricultural sector has not yet exploited its existing potential, the productivity and quality of crops and livestock are still quite low compared to the national average. In particular, high-tech agriculture applied to the cultivation sector is still confused, almost stopping at the policy and concept.

Currently, the trend of globalization and climate change has been deeply affecting agricultural production. From 2008 to now, in the North Central region, unusual weather phenomena have appeared with higher frequency such as prolonged cold, erratic and changing rainfall, the summer-autumn flood season often comes earlier than the average of many years. Land degradation is increasingly occurring on a large scale, especially in coastal districts. Along the coast, the area of ​​"sand" from Cua Lo town to Quynh Luu is up to thousands of hectares, which have been abandoned and uncultivated for many years. Faced with the above challenges, we would like to cite data on high-tech agricultural cultivation methods that have been successfully implemented on poor coastal sandy soil in Thach Van commune, Thach Ha district, Ha Tinh.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuc - Director of MITACO Agricultural Seeds and Materials Company Limited shared: Concerned with the requirements of the agricultural sector, we need to find solutions to improve coastal sandy soil, in order to proactively combat climate change and desertification, creating a sustainable organic agricultural production area. Based on the farming techniques of agricultural technical experts in Hong Kong on sandy soil, to apply on coastal sandy soil. The farming method can be applied on a large scale and does not necessarily require investment in dozens of hectares of greenhouses. This solution only requires investment in a number of nursery gardens to produce seedlings in the rainy season, and in other seasons, we plant directly on sandy soil and the sandy soil here is considered as a growing medium.

Using sprinkler irrigation technology for vegetables in Quynh Luu. Photo: Tran To

The most important thing is to apply the system of "Fixed and semi-fixed sprinkler irrigation" invested in the entire cultivated area. Based on the characteristics of the variety, determine the appropriate humidity for each type of plant, to apply the most suitable irrigation regime, which is one of the effective intensive farming measures on poor sandy soil. The superiority of the sprinkler irrigation method is to ensure water access to all cultivated land areas; Improve soil permeability, cool the air; Maintain appropriate soil moisture for plants to grow strongly from the beginning; Improve the efficiency of fertilizer use, reduce plant drying during the harvest and hot season.

In addition to the irrigation system, on sandy soils, it is necessary to calculate the drainage system: It is necessary to dig drainage ditches to ensure that drainage is always proactive and not flooded during the production process. For low-lying areas, there must be a drainage system (geotechnical pipes and geotextile rolls) to bring the amount of water seeping from daily rain into the drainage ditch, the groundwater level should be kept lower than 70cm. This issue raises a technical solution for how to make beds, for each crop season and the planting technique of each type of plant. The process currently applied is to sow seedlings in pots during the rainy season, and in the dry season, sow directly using a hole puller with a positioning tool.

Second, the variety characteristics: The yield potential, quality and adaptability of the variety are the prerequisites for creating a large volume of products per unit area. Radish and cabbage varieties have been imported from Korea and China. Liyou Seed and Goodseed 863 varieties can grow in winter, spring and spring-summer crops, with an average yield of 45-60 tons/ha. Turnip Seed in particular has a yield of 90 tons/ha, suitable for winter-spring crops. The Hong Kong high-yield tomato variety has an actual yield of over 40 tons/ha.

Third, nutrition: Fertilizer must be invested at a high level of intensive farming, ensuring the correct process for each type of crop. For example, the investment level for fertilizer for radish (large root variety) is calculated per sao (500m2): Humus is taken from organic waste 1.2-1.5 tons; 45-50 kg NPK 16:16:8; Urea 8-10 kg; Potassium 20-22 kg and Boron 1-1.2 kg. Apply synchronous basal fertilization techniques before making beds and top dressing in furrows.

Fourth, understand the irrigation regime at each stage, for each type of crop to set up an irrigation schedule and flow rate for each irrigation; apply local drought techniques at some stages to control the negative roots to find water, penetrate deeply and extend old roots. If there is no automatic sensor system to measure soil moisture, connected to the water pumping system, then it is necessary to check directly to adjust the irrigation regime.

Fifth, if pests arise and cause harm, only use biological compounds such as Marshal 200 SC and Proclaim 1.9 EC when using pesticides.

In short, the application of sprinkler irrigation technology is being strongly developed in the world; especially in developed industrial countries, sprinkler irrigation technology has been used on over 90% of cultivated land area. For the infertile sandy coastal land of Nghe An in particular and the land with light mechanical composition, poor in nutrients in other localities, applying the advantages of sprinkler irrigation technology, along with the right selection of crops in the direction of commodity production, combining highly intensive farming methods, in which focusing on the use of organic and microbial fertilizers, will create a synchronous scientific farming method, this is the scientific basis for organizing high-tech agricultural production, creating a breakthrough in crop production, bringing high economic efficiency per unit area, proactively responding to climate change and desertification. However, to successfully implement the project, it requires the attention of authorities at all levels in supporting initial investment and the pioneering role of businesses in investment is indispensable to promote, develop and maintain sustainable clean, organic agricultural production.

Master: Hoang Duc An