Growing green asparagus in Do Luong

(Baonghean) - Dong Son Commune (Do Luong) is a fairly developed agricultural, livestock and crop production area. After surveying the land here, the Department of Industry and Trade of Do Luong district chose a location to build a green asparagus growing model on the alluvial land in hamlet 6 with an area of ​​2 hectares.

In March 2012, when there was a policy to grow green asparagus, choosing Hamlet 6 as a point, Mr. Hoang Van Mui's family took the lead in planting more than 1 hectare. The selected land is located along the Lam River, is alluvial soil with high porosity, rich in nutrients, not contaminated with toxic substances, the irrigation water source is taken from the Lam River, very convenient. The bamboo shoots are sold by Thai Hoa Company at 10,000 VND/root and only pay 50% in advance, Mr. Mui bought 11,000 bamboo shoots to plant on 1 hectare. In September 2012, the first bamboo shoots emerged from the ground about 25 - 30 cm - it was time to harvest. According to the process, this is a batch of young bamboo shoots that must be harvested within 15-20 days and must be collected, including plants that do not meet quality standards, to nourish the mother plant, to prevent the plant from being exhausted and reducing the quality and yield of the next batch of bamboo shoots.

On warm sunny days, Mr. Mui harvests 20-25 kg per day with a selling price of 50-70 thousand VND/kg depending on the type. Mr. Mui said: "The characteristic of asparagus is that it must be harvested from 5am to 8am to produce high quality bamboo shoots. Do not let the bamboo shoots come into contact with sunlight, which will cause the shoots to become old and have a lot of fiber, reducing the nutritional value of the bamboo shoots."



Mr. Hoang Van Mui (Dong Son commune) is taking care of green asparagus.

Green asparagus is a new crop, its productivity increases over time, and it has a large domestic and foreign market. Bamboo shoots are harvested in a cycle lasting 2 - 2.5 months/batch, harvested daily, and only temporarily stopped for about 3 months each year when the bamboo shoots do not have buds. If well cared for, each plant will produce 2 - 3 buds in the first year, from the 2nd year onwards each plant will produce 8 - 10 buds and more with a volume of 50 - 60/bud. In the 7th - 8th year, when the productivity and quality of bamboo shoots have decreased, they need to be destroyed and replanted.

Green asparagus is a nutritious food, rich in medicinal properties, effective in preventing and treating the digestive tract, liver, diabetes, kidney, gout, anti-aging, and enhancing vitality. Many localities in the country such as Dong Anh (Hanoi), Kien An (Hai Phong), Duc Trong (Lam Dong... have grown it and achieved high productivity. Therefore, testing to have an appropriate level of investment and converting suitable crops is a direction that Do Luong district focuses on.

Initial results show that green asparagus on Do Luong alluvial soil grows and develops well. After deducting the investment costs for anti-fall trellis, fertilizer, and care, each month can earn tens of millions of VND. In January 2013, the Department of Science and Technology invested 3,000 bamboo shoots for Mr. Hoang Van Mui to continue planting on the alluvial soil. In addition, the Project Management Board is also struggling to find a way to sell the plants.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Chau - Vice Chairman of Do Luong District People's Committee - project manager, said: "The effectiveness is clear, but because the price of green asparagus products is still high, it cannot be sold widely as commercial vegetables, so the locality has not invested widely. In the immediate future, it is necessary to find a large-scale consumer market to be able to invest in expanding the alluvial lands in the district."

Dam Phuong