Growing green asparagus in Do Luong

(Baonghean) - Dong Son Commune (Do Luong) is a fairly developed agricultural, livestock and crop production area. Through a land survey here, the Department of Industry and Trade of Do Luong district chose a site 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 conveniently. The bamboo shoots are sold by Thai Hoa Company at 10,000 VND/root and only 50% is paid 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 the young bamboo shoots that must be harvested within 15-20 days and all the unqualified plants must be collected to nourish the mother plant, to prevent the plant from being exhausted and reducing the quality and yield of the next bamboo shoots.

On warm sunny days, Mr. Mui harvests 20-25 kg each 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 be exposed to 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, the yield increases over time, has a large domestic and foreign market. Harvesting shoots in a cycle lasting 2 - 2.5 months/batch, harvesting shoots daily, each year only stopping for about 3 months when the cold weather does not have shoots. If well cared for, in the first year each plant will produce 2 - 3 shoots, from the second year onwards each plant will produce 8 - 10 shoots and more with a volume of 50 - 60/shoot. In the 7th - 8th year, when the yield and quality of the shoots have decreased, they need to be destroyed to plant new ones.

Green asparagus is a nutritious food, rich in medicinal properties, has good effects in preventing and treating 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 have high productivity. Therefore, testing to have appropriate investment level and suitable crop conversion is a direction that Do Luong district focuses on.

Initial results show that green asparagus on Do Luong alluvial soil grows and develops well. The model results, after deducting the investment costs for anti-fall trellis, fertilizer, and care, can earn tens of millions of dong each month. In January 2013, the Department of Science and Technology invested 3,000 bamboo shoot seedlings 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 on a large scale 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