Quynh Luu rapidly increases the model of sowing rice in trays and transplanting rice by machine.

Quynh Lam commune, Quynh Luu district has been sowing rice in trays and using machines for 2 years. The results show that the rice plants grow quickly, have fewer pests and diseases, and the crop yield has increased by more than 40 kg/sao, while reducing costs by 100,000 - 110,000 VND/sao compared to the traditional production method. Therefore, from only 5 hectares of machine planting in 2021, this summer-autumn crop, the whole commune has up to 66 hectares and the main structure is PQ5 variety, fragrant sticky rice.

Using trays to plant seedlings reduces the number of seeds and the seed germination rate reaches about 97%. Photo: Hong Dien

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dung - Chairman of Quynh Lam Commune People's Committee said: To encourage farmers to actively produce and limit the situation of abandoned land, Quynh Lam Commune has applied transplanting machines associated with production linkages to consume summer-autumn rice products. Households participating in the model are supported by the locality with costs including 50% of seeds, 50% of NPK fertilizer, 40% of tray planting and machine planting.

Machine-based rice transplanting brings many benefits such as: reducing seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and labor, contributing to increasing productivity and quality of crops. In particular, the locality cooperates with companies inside and outside the district to purchase fresh rice immediately after harvest. Thereby, contributing to changing the mindset of small-scale production of farmers towards large-scale production.

Farmers in Quynh Lam commune (Quynh Luu) can plant rice seedlings in trays after 11 days. Photo: Hong Dien

Quynh Lam commune is the leading locality in the district in applying rice transplanting machines to rice production and has brought many double benefits to farmers. Mr. Ho Van Sinh in hamlet 9 shared: His family has 30 sao of rice, before each transplanting season he had a hard time, worried because it was very difficult to find someone to hire to transplant, and the cost was high. If he hired someone to transplant 1 sao of rice by hand plus the cost of buying seeds and other investment costs, it would cost about 480,000 VND. Now switching to using tray seedlings, transplanting by machine helps his family reduce 100,000 VND/sao, the total cost for the whole transplanting season is 3 million VND, especially it does not take much effort compared to traditional production methods.

According to Mr. Sinh, the outstanding advantage of using tray-based seedlings is that the seedlings are strong and grow quickly, and can be transplanted within just 11 days from sowing. When transplanted into the field, the roots are not broken, so the plants quickly grow, recover, and branch out strongly, limiting pests and diseases.

In Quynh Dien commune, in this summer-autumn crop, the locality planted 273 hectares. Of which, the commune built a large model field and applied machine planting on an area of ​​20 hectares, with 140 households.

Thanks to the ability to keep the roots of the seedlings from breaking, when transplanted by machine, the plants quickly grow strong, recover, and produce strong branches. Photo: Hong Dien

For households participating in the model, the commune supports costs including seeds, fertilizers, labor for planting seedlings in trays and transplanting machines at 7.5 million VND/ha. In addition, the locality cooperates and hires units to implement planting seedlings in trays through each stage according to the correct process and techniques for the people.

Mr. Vo Trung Kien - agricultural officer of Quynh Dien commune said: To ensure time and progress, the commune has mobilized 5 transplanters to operate continuously in each field. Transplanting by machine helps the distance between rows and rice bushes to be more even, ensuring density; helping plants absorb light well, grow and develop quickly. This is the first planting season that the commune has brought transplanters to plant rice, but it has received high response, agreement and support from the people.

In rice production in Quynh Luu district, the mechanization rate of land preparation reached over 95%, and the harvest rate reached 87%. However, the mechanization of sowing and transplanting in recent times has been limited. Through the evaluation and testing of some machine-based rice transplanting models in the district in 2021, it has brought about clear results such as reducing labor, reducing production costs, ensuring rice transplanting techniques, limiting pests and diseases, and increasing value per unit area.

People of Quynh Lam commune take rice seedlings to the field using machines. Photo: Hong Dien

“In order to change the mindset in agricultural production from manual to mechanized application, Quynh Luu district has strengthened the direction of communes to build a model of applying transplanting machines associated with linking product consumption and financial support for people according to Decree 35/2015 of the Government. From there, creating connections and gradually forming agricultural commodity production areas. Currently, in the summer-autumn crop, 3 communes have built the above model, with an area of ​​150 hectares. In addition, the district also directed propaganda and dissemination to people of the policy according to Resolution 18 of the Provincial People's Council on supporting 20% ​​of the value when transplanting machines", Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district added.

.