Extension

Outline of establishing the programme 
of agricultural extension on fertilizer for crops in Vietnam

Dr. Nguyen Van Bo, Dr. Le Hung Quoc


1. Introduction
among the programme of agricultural extension of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the programme of agricultural extension on fertilizers is considered a central one aiming at increasing fertilizer use efficiency, crop yield and agricultural product quality, stabilizing and enhancing the soil fertility. However, due to different reasons, due attention was not paid to this programme. For that reason, the National Institute for Soils and Fertilizers in cooperation with the Department of Agricultural and Forestry Extension organized the workshop on promotion of IPNS in Northern Vietnam during two days, 22-23 June 1999 in Hanoi to assess status of the system of agricultural extension on fertilizers as well as the results of technology transfer on fertilizers carried out by the Department of Agricultural and Forestry Extension and Provincial Centers for Agricultural and Forestry Extension, Research Institute, Universities, Fertilizer Companies and NGO’s. At this workshop, Dr. Nguyen Thien Luan, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, President of fertilizer Association of Vietnam, Acad. Prof. Dr. Vu Tuyen Hoang, President of Union of Scientific and Technic Associations of Vietnam, Dr. Tran Khai, President of Vietnam Soil Science Society, Leaders of Department of Science, Technology and Product Quality, Leader of Department of Agricultural and forestry Extension, Provincial Centers for Agricultural and Forestry Extension from Thua Thien Hue province northwards, Leaders of Research Institutes, Universities, Non-Governmental Organizations implementing the agricultural extension on fertilizers, Fertilizer-Producing and Trading Companies and Scientist have discussed and worked out a programme of agricultural extension on fertilizers with the following objectives and contents.
2. Programme Objectives
            To survey the status of fertilizer use of farmers, evaluate the existing status of system of fertilizer supply and service, carry out training, set up on-farm demonstrations, guide farmers to apply fertilizers belatedly, reasonably and suitably with soil and weather features of each agro-ecological zone through the farmer’s field schools to increase crop yield and agricultural product quality at the same time ensuring the stability of soil fertility and environment safety. The programme will base on results of research and development to put forth to the state the appropriate policies and regulations aiming at protecting the consumer’s rights and ensuring the efficient development of agricultural production.
3. Programme contents.
  • Setting up a united network of agricultural extension on fertilizers with the participation of research institutes, agricultural universities, scientific associations and non-governmental organizations, fertilizer producing and trading companies, provincial and district Centers for Agricultural and Forestry Extension under the management of department of Agricultural and Forestry Extension with National Institute for Soils and Fertilizers as Standing Organization.
  • Surveying the current status of fertilizer use of farmers in all key agricultural areas in the whole country, firstly in the Red River Delta, Mekong river delta and Central Highlands, and then in the remaining areas. The surveyed data will be processed to find out the advantages and shortcoming in fertilizer use for some main crops.
  • Surveying the current status and capacity of fertilizer supply and service of governmental organizations, collective and private organizations, evaluating the supply capacity and requirement of each fertilizer kind at localities according to short- term and medium -term plants.
  • Setting up the network of stable and long-term field experiment on some soil types for some crops in all agro-ecological zones in the whole country in order to exactly assess the nutrient supplying capacity of soils, factors limiting the fertilizer use efficiency (soils, climate and weather, management level, intellectual standard of the people...), direct and residual efficiency of main fertilizer to serve as a basis for establishing the formulae of reasonable fertilization.
  • Setting up a network of field experiments to assess the environmental impacts of fertilizers, especially the impacts of fertilizers on soil fertility and agricultural product quality, besides, through this research system identifying the relationship between fertilizers and IPM.
  • Organizing the training courses to provide the local extortionists with new knowledge and update new knowledge for them.
  • Organizing the training for farmers on the role of each nutrient, symptoms of nutrient shortage and method of reasonable and efficient fertilizer through the farmer’s field schools using the most simple and effective methods.
  • Organizing the information and propaganda on fertilizer use guides as well as introduction of new fertilizer through mass-media.
  • Printing the fertilizer use guides. In the short term, apart from specific information, a new issue of agricultural extension on fertilizers can be carried out at the periodical of Vietnam Soil Science Society or the periodical of Department of Agricultural and Forestry extension of MARD.
  • Working out the regulations on fertilizer quality control aiming at preparing the fertilizer legislation.
  • Carrying out the activities of cooperation on agricultural extension on fertilizers with in- country and foreign organizations as well as testing the efficiency of new fertilizers manufactured by in-country as well as foreign companies.
  • Establishing the technical support fund to help the enthusiastic farmers having difficulties to form the key farmer class at the grassroots units.
    • 4. Expected Outputs.
  • The farmers provided with basis knowledge of fertilizer: Kind, composition, properties, method of storage, fertilizer use guide (not only for agricultural crops but also for forest trees and plant/tree-seedlings).
  • Agricultural output increase due to increase in crop yield.
  • Agricultural product value increase due to increase in quality.
  • Fertilizer cost for a product unit reduced, hard foreign currencies economized due to reasonable fertilizer use.
  • In-country raw materials for fertilizer production such as phosphate ores, pyrite, serpentine, dolomite, fuel (electricity, coal...) economized.
  • Environmental pollution protected due to decrease in gaseous nitrogen looses as well as nitrate loss by leaching.
  • Soil fertility stabilized and enhanced.
    • 5. Programme Duration: 1999-2005.