Abstract
Overuse of seed and chemical inputs is a major constraint for sustainable rice production in Vietnam. In this study, two seasons of field trials were conducted to compare different crop establishment practices for rice production in the Mekong River Delta using environmental and economic sustainability performance indicators. The indicators including energy efficiency, agronomic use efficiency, net income, and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) were quantified based on four treatments including manual broadcast-seeding, blower seeding, drum seeding, and mechanized transplanting. Across the four treatments, yields ranged from 7.3–7.5 Mg ha−1 and 6.2–6.8 Mg ha−1 in the Winter-Spring (WS) and Summer-Autumn (SA) seasons, respectively. In comparison with direct seeding methods, mechanized transplanting decreased the seed rate by 40%. It also led to a 30–40% reduction in pesticide use during the main crop season (WS). Mechanized transplanting required higher inputs, including machine depreciation and fuel consumption, but its net energy balance, net income and GHGE were at a similar level as the other non-mechanized planting practices. Mechanized transplanting is a technology package that should be promoted to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of lowland rice cultivation in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam.
Highlights
Overuse of seed and chemical inputs is a major constraint for sustainable rice production in Vietnam
In the Mekong River Delta (MRD) of Vietnam, rice farmers have been adopting a set of best management practices named “1 Must Do, 5 Reductions (1M5R)”, which promotes six core principles: 1 Must Do = Use certified seed; 5 Reductions = Reduce seed rate, fertilizer use, pesticide use, water use and postharvest losses
All methods included in the research, such as the experimental design, measurement of planting uniformity, yield, and sustainable performance indicators, are under the guidelines of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) or global standards, which are indicated in the specific sections and parameters below
Summary
Overuse of seed and chemical inputs is a major constraint for sustainable rice production in Vietnam. MecT Mechanized transplanting Mg Megagram MJ Megajoules MRD Mekong River Delta of Vietnam N Nitrogen NUE Nitrogen-use efficiency (grain kg nitrogen kg-1) P2O5 Phosphorus pentoxide PUE Phosphorus-use efficiency (grain kg phosphorus k g-1) SA Summer-Autumn SFLF Small Farmers, Large Field model SRP Sustainable Rice Platform WS Winter-Spring. In Southeast Asian countries, most rice fields are fragmented with small plot sizes of about 0.1–2 ha, causing low energy efficiency and p roductivity[10,11] In response to these challenges and problems, sustainable practices and programs are being promoted, such as Global G.A.P, VietGAP and the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standards[12,13]. A water-saving technology called “Alternate Wetting and Drying” has been applied on a large scale in the MRD4,17,18 Such intermittent irrigation can reduce GHGEs by 40–50% compared to a continuously flooded rice production system[19,20,21]
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