Pesticides are overused, and the grass along the field edges dies.
These days, farmers in the province are focusing on preparing the land for the spring rice planting season. Reporters have observed that in many localities, farmers are using herbicides, causing the grass along the field edges to dry up and burn.
BThe dry grass is burnt due to herbicide spraying.
Observations in many fields of localities in the former Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, and Dien Chau districts show that field boundaries sprayed with herbicides have withered, died, or turned yellow noticeably; meanwhile, field boundaries that were not sprayed remain green and healthy.
According to some farmers, many households are now spraying herbicides to limit weed growth and reduce the need for frequent weeding along the field edges throughout the planting season. They say that buying herbicides is also easy. To spray all the field edges covering an area of one sao (approximately 1000 square meters), the cost is only about 20,000 VND for herbicide.
In the fields of Quan Thanh commune (formerly Yen Thanh district), the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, in Tay Ho hamlet, is one of the few households that did not spray herbicide on the field edges, even though many surrounding fields had already used it. Ms. Thu said that due to concerns about the toxic concentration of the herbicide potentially affecting their health, her family decided not to spray. According to Ms. Thu, many people have reported feeling tired and having headaches after spraying, even just smelling the herbicide, with the potential for long-term effects.
Ms. Thu is concerned that if many households spray herbicides along the riverbanks, not only livestock and poultry will consume them, but many other organisms will also be at risk of being destroyed.
According to observations at agricultural supply stores in Quan Thanh commune and some neighboring communes, two types of herbicides are currently popular on the market: Trau Den - SIMATOP 200SL and Phuong Hoang Lua - Ground Up 200SL,...
Mr. Nguyen Van Lien, the owner of a local kiosk, said that Trau Den - SIMATOP 200SL is a slow-acting herbicide, meaning it takes about 5-7 days after spraying for the weeds to completely die, and it sells for 90,000 VND per bottle. Meanwhile, Phuong Hoang Lua - Ground Up 200SL has the advantage of burning weeds quickly and sells for about 30,000 VND per bottle, so it is chosen by many farmers.
Use should be limited.
Given the situation where many farmers use chemical herbicides to spray weeds on field edges, causing the weeds to dry up and burn, posing a potential environmental pollution risk, local authorities have been stepping up efforts to raise awareness and advise people to limit the overuse of chemical pesticides, use them according to regulations, and encourage the application of manual, environmentally friendly methods.
According to Ms. Dang Thi Dung, Chairwoman of the Quan Thanh Commune People's Committee, in preparation for the 2026 spring rice planting season, after observing the situation in many fields, the local authorities have noticed that the use of herbicides to spray weeds on field edges by farmers is still occurring.
According to Ms. Dang Thi Dung, the overuse of herbicides, especially for spraying weeds on field edges, not only poses a direct danger to agricultural producers but also increases the risk of chemical residue in agricultural products, affecting consumer health. Many studies have shown that prolonged exposure to herbicides can lead to neurological damage, liver failure, kidney failure, and even increase the risk of cancer. In the long term, herbicides also cause serious environmental consequences. Soil becomes compacted and degraded; beneficial microorganisms in the soil are destroyed, disrupting the ecological balance of the fields. Chemicals are washed into canals, ponds, and lakes by rainwater.
"To minimize the harmful effects of pesticides, the People's Committee of the commune requests that hamlets focus on disseminating information and guiding people to use pesticides correctly and for the right purposes; not to use this group of pesticides to control weeds on field edges and ditches. We recommend that people use methods such as lawn mowers and manual weeding tools to control weeds," said Ms. Dang Thi Dung.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, stated that the use of herbicides on the list permitted by the State is not prohibited. However, the overuse of herbicides to spray weeds on field edges poses a potential risk of environmental pollution, affecting soil, water, and the agricultural ecosystem.
Therefore, farmers need to use pesticides according to the "four correct principles," which include the right pesticide, the right dosage, the right target, and the right time. Adhering to the recommendations of the professional sector not only helps improve the effectiveness of weed control but also contributes to ensuring safety in agricultural production.
Organic pesticides are preparations of natural or microbial origin used to control plant pests and diseases in a safe, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and human-health-friendly manner. Currently, this group of pesticides is being encouraged for use in clean agriculture, VietGAP, and organic farming.
