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Irrigated Rice Research Consortium

Lower input costs mean higher profit

Rice farming in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam suffers from increasing costs of production due to high seeding rates, excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and frequent application of pesticides. A partnership of extension and research organizations is helping rice farmers in the Mekong Delta raise their profit through reduced use of seed, N fertilizer and pesticides.

IRRC research in the Mekong Delta has shown that rates of seed and N fertilizer use and the number of pesticide application can be reduced without adversely affecting yield. With the use of a reduced seed rate (80-100 kilograms per hectare) and crop-need-based N application using the leaf color chart, rice plants remain healthy and thus require fewer pesticide applications. In addition, properly fed rice crops do not lodge and so require less labor for harvesting and have better grain quality. Good-quality grain commands a higher price in the market. Over all, farmers adopting the above techniques enjoy improved profit in rice farming and minimize pesticide-related health risks for themselves and their families.

Encouraging research findings in the IRRC led in 2002 to the initiation of the Three Reductions Project in Cantho Province, in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam. This project is implemented through a partnership linking the Plant Protection Department, the Provincial Department of Agriculture, local extension, local government, and research institutions. Technical inputs and training come from scientists of the Cuu Long Rice Research Institute (CLRRI), who are time-honored IRRC partners in the development of improved nutrient- and pest-management practices through the workgroup on Reaching Toward Optimal Productivity ( RTOP Workgroup). IRRI scientists serve as resource persons, and the IRRC acts as facilitator.

The Three Reductions Project derives its name from three critical and costly inputs that can be cut back to achieve more efficient and profitable rice farming. It endeavors to
• reduce the seed rate with high-quality seed and improve crop establishment,
• prevent excess N fertilizer use by optimizing N application with the leaf color chart,
• reduce pesticide use through integrated pest management (IPM).
These practices are combined with good crop management and balanced use of potassium and phosphorus fertilizer.

The Three Reductions Project builds upon very encouraging past research findings on integrated seed, nutrient and pest management. In the adjacent photo, Bui Ba Bong, vice-minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), participates in the Regional Research-Extension-Farmer Meeting at Tien Giang on 1 March 2002, at which farmers provided highly positive experiences regarding the on-farm research that provided the basis for the project'.

The Three Reductions Project is being initiated in 2002 with the support of MARD and local government. Most of the financial support comes from Vietnam. We aim to involve 1,600 farmers in two districts of Cantho Province in the first season, starting in November 2002. We anticipate rapid expansion in the coming years and expect to reach 25,000 farm households in the Mekong Delta by the end of 2004.

The technical innovations and approaches to research-extension partnership arising from this project in Vietnam and other initiatives within the IRRC represent international public goods that can transcend borders and benefit other farmers and countries in Asia. We aim to use the lessons and experiences of the Three Reductions Project to facilitate and promote effective research-extension partnerships at other locations in Asia.

About Impact

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