Soybean restoration in Nam Dan

(Baonghean) - The project "Restoring Nam Dan soybean varieties" implemented by the People's Committee of Nam Dan district in coordination with the provincial Agricultural Extension Center has produced super-original seeds with high yield and quality. This is an opportunity for the delicious local soybeans to expand the area and increase economic value.

Acceptance of commercial soybean model in spring crop 2014 in Xuan Hoa commune (Nam Dan).

Nam Dan district has over 2,200 hectares of sandy loam land, which is light loam with high alluvial content deposited by the Lam River, suitable for growing legume crops. In particular, the famous delicious and nutritious soybean variety has been grown by the locals here for a long time, from which the soy sauce making profession has emerged, a proud brand of Nam Dan land.

Nam Dan soybeans have small but firm and fragrant seeds. However, over a long period of time, this bean variety has gradually degenerated and its yield is not high. Bean plants are often affected by root rot, leaf rollers, and fruit borers. Some plants have switched to unlimited reproduction, resulting in low yields, only reaching about 30 kg/sao. Therefore, the area for growing this bean variety has gradually shrunk. Many local people, although not wanting to abandon this bean variety, have had to switch to growing new hybrid soybean varieties such as DT12, DT84, etc. These bean varieties have large seeds and high yields, up to 80 kg/sao, but their nutrient content is low and they are not fragrant or sweet. Therefore, even the soy sauce-making village in the district does not buy hybrid beans. Because according to traditional soy sauce making families, hybrid bean varieties used to make soy sauce are often sour, not sweet and fragrant, and are cheap, only 15-17 thousand VND/liter, making them difficult to sell, while soy sauce made from local bean varieties costs 70-80 thousand VND/liter.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen's family in Hamlet 3, Xuan Hoa Commune used to grow new varieties of beans, with yields often reaching 70 - 80 kg/sao but they were difficult to sell, often bringing them to the market and then bringing them back even though they sold them at low prices. Since the Nam Dan soybean restoration project, her family has been provided with varieties, planted 130 m2, then increased the area. Ms. Yen shared: "Growing traditional soybean varieties is simpler to care for, saving costs because you only need to fertilize with a few kg of nitrogen, less potassium, prevent leaf rollers, and pay attention to preventing stink bugs during the fruiting period. In the spring crop of 2014, her family's bean yield reached 65 kg/sao, with a selling price of 80,000 VND/kg, after deducting costs of about 1 million VND, the net profit was 3 million VND/sao in 85 days. Bean products are purchased at home and not sold at the market...". Many other households are also excited to replant traditional bean varieties that have been restored and selected, and bean products are easy to sell.

Mr. Thai Xuan Hung, an agricultural extension officer of Xuan Hoa commune, added: Soybean is suitable for high land, sandy soil or light sandy soil, and is a fairly drought-resistant plant. For the past 10 years, soybeans have gradually disappeared from Xuan Hoa fields due to the degeneration of old varieties, poor quality of new varieties, and inability to compete with other crops... However, since the beginning of the 2014 spring crop, with the support of the district and other sectors, traditional soybeans have been replanted in hamlets 1, 2, 3, and 4, of which hamlets 1 and 2 have been planned as concentrated areas due to favorable land areas. The whole commune has 4.1 hectares of soybeans, and through care, the plants have grown well, proving that they are very suitable for the soil here. Despite the drought, most of the area still has a yield of 60 - 65 kg/sao, while drier areas have an average yield of 30 - 40 kg/sao. While new soybean varieties are only sold for 16,000 VND/kg, this restored soybean variety is sold for up to 70 - 80,000 VND/kg, and is sold out as soon as it is harvested.

Before Nam Dan implemented the project to restore local soybean varieties, people still planted them sporadically in the communes of Nam Tan, Xuan Lam, Khanh Son, Hung Tien... Soybean products were always sought after by soy bean makers in the district and customers. Mr. Ho Cong Que - Head of the district's Agricultural Extension Station, said: Nam Dan is building the Nam Dan soy bean brand, so restoring high-quality local soybean varieties is very important. With the province's permission and facilitation for the project, in phase 1 from 2009 - 2012, the district coordinated with the provincial Agricultural Extension Center to restore and produce super-original seeds for people to produce original seeds; phase 2 of the project from 2012 - 2015 will produce original seeds, certified seeds and finished seeds, while maintaining super-original seeds.

Since then, in 2012, Nam Dan has planted 2 hectares of super-original seed production, in the spring of 2013, 20 hectares of certified seed production and in the spring of 2014, the whole district had 40 hectares of commercial seed production, and at the same time, 300 liters of soy sauce were tested from the project's soybean products, with very encouraging results when the soy sauce produced was of guaranteed quality, delicious and mildly sweet. Therefore, from 7 communes growing traditional soybeans in the spring of 2013, in the spring of 2014 and coming, Nam Dan district expanded the area in 3 other communes, up to about 100 hectares. "Currently, Phan Boi Chau soy sauce making village consumes about 9 tons of beans. If the area of ​​raw materials can be expanded, it will be enough to meet the needs of the village" - Mr. Que shared.

The initial success of the Nam Dan soybean restoration project has strengthened the connection between farmers and the traditional soybean craft village. This is a positive direction to stimulate the development of the craft village and promote agricultural production in the direction of creating local raw materials, increasing income value on the fields. Furthermore, Nam Dan is planning to build a traditional soybean brand to expand the consumption market, promote products domestically and internationally.

Phu Huong