Đề tài Using gap for vegetable seed and seedling production

Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program 246 USING GAP FOR VEGETABLE SEED AND SEEDLING PRODUCTION Project title: Improvement of Vietnamese vegetable production using GAP principles for seed and seedling production and superior hybrid varieties Project code: CARD 025/06 VIE Authors: Prof. Dr. Tran Khac Thi 1, Dr. Pham My Linh1, Ass. Prof. Dr. Robert Spooner-Hart2, Dr. Tony Haigh2, Mr. Oleg Nicetic Project implementing organizations: 1 Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute 2 Centre for Plant & Food Science - University of Western Sydney, Australia Potato, Vegetable and Fruit Research Center (PVFC), VAAS Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the south (IAS) Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF) Southern Seed Stock Company (SSC) Plant Protection Department (PPD) 1. Introduction Vegetable production in Vietnam is a high growth industry of agriculture sector. According to statistics, in 1999 the national vegetable growing area reached 430,360 hectares, yielding 142.6 kg/ha, and producing 6.13 million tons. By 2009 the index was above 735,335 ha (increased by 70%), 161.6 kg/ha (increased by 13%) and 11.88 million tons (increased by 93%), respectively. Vegetable species have been diversified (including more than 70 vegetable species with 25-27 key species), the rate of hybrid seed utilization in production reached over 60%. Besides the sector's progress, the shortcomings were revealed, requiring to be addressed: - Vegetable yields are low, equivalent to only 92% of the world average level due to low and uneven farming degree among regions in Vietnam. - The percentage of imported hybrid seeds is relatively high, over 50% of quantity of annually sowing seeds. - The level of food safety has tended to decline. Currently, only 5% of the area planted according safety procedures (Department of Crop Production, 2008). This project was established with the desire to contribute to addressing the above mentioned shortcomings of the industry. The project was implemented during 2007- 2010. Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute is the key project institution in Vietnam, led by Prof. Dr. Tran Khac Thi. It was collaborated with Potato, Vegetable and Fruit Research Center (PVFC) under Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the south (IAS), Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF), Southern Seed Stock Company (SSC), and Plant Protection Department (PPD). Australian institution is Centre for Plant & Food Science - University of Western Sydney led by Ass. Prof. Dr. Robert Spooner – Hart. In addition, the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC) was also involved in this project. 2. Contents and methodology 1) Conduct GAP baseline study of vegetable seed and seedling production facilities, and draft protocols for seed and seedling production aligned to GAP principles seedling production and (for farmers IPDM, record keeping and health & safety). 2) Establish small-scale pilot vegetable variety evaluation and seedling production in each of 3 regions based on drafted protocols. Once established, CARD 025/06 VIE – GAP for vegetable seed and seedling production 247 these production facilities will be use for demonstrations and training 3) Evaluate new hybrids of AVRDC’s TYLCV resistant tomato varieties and mildew resistant cucumber varieties developed by FAVRI in 3 regions 4) Develop crop management protocols for farmers using new resistant varieties of seed and seedling to final product, for tomato fruit with no significant losses due to TYLCV, and for cucumbers with no significant losses from mildews 5) Train personnel from seed and seedling producing companies and PPD in principles and practices of GAP and production/evaluation of hybrid disease- resistant tomato and mildew resistant cucumber varieties. Project activities - Trailing new hybrid vegetable varieties: Tomato resistant to yellow leaf curl virus (from AVRDC), cucumber resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew (from FAVRI) at different ecological regions of Vietnam. - Developing vegetable production protocols complying for VietGAP principles - Establishing demonstrations of new varieties and techniques as well growing off season tomatoes by using technology of grafting tomato scions on eggplant rootstocks. - Training extension staff and farmers on safe vegetable production Project locations are the Red River Delta provinces, the central coastal provinces, Lam Dong and Thua Thien-Hue. 3. Research results 3.1 Variety testing A variety set of geminivirus disease resistant tomato delivered by Dr. Peter Hanson (AVRDC) and hybrid cucumber varieties bred by FAVRI were trailed/tested in 5 locations in the Red River Delta, Central Coast and Central Highland of Vietnam in 2 crops/year beginning in 2007. - For tomato: tested results showed 2 promising F1 hybrid tomato varieties are WVCT8 and WVCT2. Both have the mean fruit weight of 80 grams, with bright red color, very suitable for the current market demand. WVCT8 has a longer growth duration (about 140 days) and also a higher yield (reaching more than 60 tons/ha in main season and more than 40 tons/ha in off season). Because of high disease resistant and heat resistant varieties, it can be planted earlier in the autumn and winter in the Northern provinces at the time of tomato scarcity, thus this variety are preferable by farmers. This variety is proposed for MARD approval as technical advance variety which is allowed to large scale development in the Red River Delta, in Lam Dong and the Mekong Delta. SSC and FAVRI are implementing multiplication of these varieties. Fig 1. Tomato demonstration block in Thai Binh. The crop on the left (with stakes) is grafted tomato. The one on the right (destroyed, no stakes) is non-grafted Fig 2. Tomato demonstration in Hai Phong. The crop on the left is AVRDC disease resistant, and the crop (local variety) on the right is devastated with TYLC virus Tran Khac Thi, Pham My Linh, Robert Spooner-Hart &Tony Haigh 248 - For cucumber: Of hybrid cucumber varieties bred by FAVRI, CV5 has advantage in growing in the Red River Delta and is currently grown by farmers in many locations where farmers produce more to supply products to big cities markets. This variety owns a gene against a powdery mildew disease (Sphaerotheca funigiea) and downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) which facilitates farmers to use less chemicals/pesticides, thereby both increasing production effectiveness and ensuring safety for farming environment. 3.2 Develop GAP manuals for tomato and cucumber To develop GAP manuals, the project organized a national workshop on GAP in December 2007 with the participation of Vietnamese and Australian experts from the research centers, universities, managers from ministries and some Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as staff of CARD project 021/06 VIE. Information about the workshop were collected combined with survey results in the Red River Delta provinces, the Central Coast, Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong provinces, the project team has compiled the above documents. Content of the two manuals was established based on reference of similar manual in Australia, ASEANGAP and VietGAP principles. During the time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam also had advocated development of VietGAP guidelines for specific crops. The two above manuals are the basic for Vietnamese project team to develop safe vegetable production protocols in compliance with VietGAP principles for tomato and cucumber. These two protocols were approved as technical advances for large scale application in Vietnam according to Decision No. 369-370/QD-TT-CLT dated September 28, 2009 by Department of Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 3.3 Field demonstration During project implementation, FAVRI and SSC has established 10 demonstrations of new tomato and cucumber varieties for seed production areas in northern Vietnam, Lam Dong province and Mekong Delta. This is the basis for the producers to access to and select new varieties at the same place of production. - One of the most successful activities of this project is to establish demonstrations of grafting tomato scions on eggplant rootstocks in the Red River Delta provinces, two central coast provinces (Quang Nam and Da Nang). The advantages of this technique is that tomato can be tolerant to flooding and high humidity and heat so it can be grown in summer season with yield of 70-85% compared with the winter – spring season. During summer time (June – October), tomato price increased by 3- 4 times compared with main season tomato which has brought high efficiency for farmers, added a number of fresh tomato products to the market, contributing to reducing tomato import . This is FAVRI technical advance improved from AVRDC achievements which are adopted by farmer. One of the constraints is that limited capacity of seedling production has led to small – medium scale f demonstrations and not meeting producers demand Fig 3. GAP manual for tomato and cucumber (in English and Vietnamese) CARD 025/06 VIE – GAP for vegetable seed and seedling production 249 3.2 Training - For farmers. During project implementation, a total of 860 farmers (mainly women) participated in 36 FFSs (16 FFSs for cucumber and 20 FFSs for tomato). Survey results showed that most participants recognised the benefits of the project in their vegetable production. Enhanced skills include a selection of good varieties for production to both increase yield and reduce cost, identification, selection and use of proper pesticides, crop management skills .... Because they were trained on VietGAP principles, they all record during production. Via FFSs , farmer demonstrations increased yield by 43-50% compared with non – project fields. - 21 staff of 9 PPSDs , including six Red River Delta provinces, Quang Nam, Da Nang and Da Lat were improved with new knowledge about IPDM and GAP via attending two training workshops (TOT). - For the professional staff of project Vietnamese institutions: 7 project staff from FAVRI, PVFC, SSC HUAF had a study visit of 10 days in Australia (from May 2008). Dr. Robert Spooner-Hart, Tony Haigh and Oleg Nicetic guided the team to visit vegetable seedling production facilities in industrial scale, visit the hi tech vegetable production areas (hydroponic technology), safe vegetable areas with GAP certification. The team also accessed to research activities of Centre for Plant & Food Science - University of Western Sydney (UWS) and other agricultural research institutes. Expertise obtained of the team members are very active, much information will be applied to their work. - Mr. Tang Duc Hung, SSC staff were funded for a training on breeding TYLCV, downy mildew, bacterial disease-resistant tomato by traditional and modern methods. These are activities outside project plan in order to facilitate SSC to prepare a long-term program in tomato seed production and trade. 4. Conclusions and recommendations  The project results are sustainable. This is the most successful of this project by the following impact: - The hybrid tomato and cucumber varieties introduced to farmers in many locations have been adopted and developed due to their high yield, good quality and disease resistance, thus increasing efficiency growers, as well safety of products and farming environment. In addition, seeds of these varieties which are domestically produced will be an active source of seeds compared to the imported high price varieties popularly planted in Vietnam. - The technical staff of the PPSD who was improved with new knowledge of pest and disease management as well as cultural practice protocols, will facilitate farmers to limit pesticide use, tending to safe vegetable production. Especially, project farmers with effectiveness of demonstrations and the new cultural practices will help them increase income and protect sustainability of farming environment. - Project partners had capacity building through enhancing technical knowledge for researchers, English proficiency and relationships with Australian specialists, skills to work with farmers will help them much in the same activities in the future.  The project has been completed and exceeded set objectives. Australian experts have closely cooperated with Vietnamese staff, understood Vietnamese Culture and planned to collaborate following activities. This project is considered successful in many aspects.