Quy Hop: Applying high technology to watering sugarcane
(Baonghean) -To increase sugarcane productivity, in previous years, Tate & Lyle Sugar Company issued an investment policy for farmers to borrow money without interest (10 million VND/machine) to buy sugarcane irrigation pumping systems. However, the pumping system is only effective in the new planting stage, the later stages are less effective due to high irrigation costs, water consumption, difficulty in operation, and broken sugarcane, so many farmers are not interested in investing.
In the 2012-2013 crushing season, the Company established a floating drip irrigation project, proactively using the "Netafim-Israel high-tech drip irrigation" technology for sugarcane. The Company selected sugarcane growers with an area of 2 hectares or more, with irrigation water sources, to visit and study in Thanh Hoa, a locality that has been successful in irrigating sugarcane. The Company signed a contract and invited Netafim experts to directly survey and design sugarcane areas that need high-tech irrigation; farmers participating in the project were invested by the factory with a loan of 60 million VND/ha without interest and deducted gradually when selling sugarcane within 3 years to buy irrigation equipment. By March, 14 hectares of 5 organizations and households had installed and operated floating drip irrigation systems.
"Netafim-Israel high-tech drip irrigation system"
Mr. Ta Dinh Tro, Director of Agricultural Extension - Project owner of high-tech application of water for sugarcane affirmed: Floating drip irrigation will increase sugarcane yield to 120 tons/ha, twice as high as mass production; sugar content is 1.5-2 CCS higher, sugarcane is better kept at the base, and grassy shoot disease is well controlled. Watering deeply, nourishing sugarcane right from the time of planting the cuttings, can ensure 100% of sugarcane sprouts and grows in drought conditions. Along with supplying water to sugarcane, fertilizer is also supplied by the drip irrigation system to the sugarcane root system, high uniformity for sugarcane, reducing costs, and freeing up labor for sugarcane growers. Drip irrigation, water is supplied directly to the root zone, so weed growth is limited compared to the flood irrigation method. Fertilizer and water are supplied according to the requirements of each stage of growth and development of sugarcane.
Mr. Tran Bang, in Thai Hoa Town, is currently growing sugarcane in Doc Dai area, participating in a project to apply high technology to irrigate sugarcane, adding: "Every 50 cm on the water line, there is a drip valve to regulate the water, the amount of water is fixed here at 1 liter/1 hour, so it is very economical in terms of irrigation water and fuel, the water penetrates 35-40 cm deep, ensuring favorable development of sugarcane in dry days. His sugarcane area has 1.8 hectares of high-tech irrigation; seeing the effectiveness, I am currently asking the factory to invest in 2 more hectares".
Vo Van Luong (Nghia Xuan - Quy Hop)
