Tra Vinh Province Research Articles

Biến động và mối tương quan của mật độ vi sinh vật trong môi trường nước, trầm tích và cơ nghêu Bến Tre Meretrix lyrata (Sowerby, 1851) tại bãi nghêu xã Hiệp Thạnh, huyện Duyên Hải, tỉnh Trà Vinh

Based on three different sample collections (beginning, mid-season and the end of harvest season) of seawater, sediment and Ben Tre white hard clams Meretrix lyrata at Hiep Thanh commune, Tra Vinh province. The results of bacterial density from the above environments revealed that Coliform and Vibrio in both seawater and sediment are safe at density, below the permitted level for aquaculture area (Coliform<104MPN/100ml, QCVN08:2008/BTNMT; Vibrio <105cfu /100ml, TCN101:1997). Notably, the density of Vibrio, Coliform in both sediment and seawater, and Vibrio, E. coli in clam muscle at the harvest time are higher than those in the beginning, mid-season. Especially, Vibrio in the tissue showed higher values than the permitted standard (<300cfu/100g, WHO. 1990). The Pearson’s correlations showed that there were statistically positive correlations between Coliform/Vibrio in seawater, sediment and muscle. Therefore, the increasing of bacteria density in both seawater and sediment could cause an increase in bacteria density in the clam muscle.

Adaptation Strategies and Livelihood Vulnerability of Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam: A Case of the Khmer Community in Mekong Delta

This study investigates the impact of climate change adaptation strategies on the livelihood vulnerability of ethnic minority households in Vietnam, specifically the Khmer people in the Mekong River Delta. Research data were collected from 426 Khmer farming households in three provinces—namely Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, and Kien Giang—which comprise the largest Khmer population. Vulnerability is measured using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) with weights based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results show that Khmer households have a moderate level of vulnerability, and that Khmer households in Tra Vinh province have a significantly higher level of vulnerability than the other two localities. Multivariate regression analysis reveals that adaptation strategies have a significant impact on reducing livelihood vulnerabilities. Moreover, results highlight the relationship of the livelihood vulnerability level to factors such as education level of household head, gender of household head, household's land area, household labor force, dependency ratio, poor household, housing status, agricultural and nonagricultural income, information access, social network access, local support policies, credit access, climatic shocks, and perception of climate change.

Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Dyslipidemia in the Khmer Ethnic People, Vietnam.

The majority of the Khmer ethnic people living in the Mekong Delta had a difficult socioeconomic life and limited access to information and health services. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and risk factors in men and women of the Khmer ethnic people, in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1.800 Khmer people aged 25 - 64 yr living in Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was high in men (47.3%) and in women (51.4%). Men had a higher prevalence of high TG (28.9% vs. 23.9%), whereas the prevalence of high TC (34.1% vs. 42.4%), and high LDL-C (28.2% vs. 37.9%) were lower in women, (all P<0.05). In men, dyslipidemia was significantly associated with central obesity (OR=2.58, 95% CI=1.32-5.06), overweight/obesity (OR=2.50, 95% CI=1.75-3.56), and diabetes (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.22-3.78). In women, dyslipidemia was significantly associated with diabetes (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.08-4.24), central obesity (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.18-2.42), overweight/obesity (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.06-2.10), and hypertension (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.03-1.99). Age was significantly associated with increased risk of dyslipidemia in both genders. Overall, the prevalence of dyslipidemia among Khmer men and women adults aged 25 - 64 years in Vietnam was high. Our findings indicated an urgent need to have dyslipidemia prevention intervention programs for the Khmer ethnic people in the Mekong Delta, especially training about obesity and increasing healthy lifestyles.

Climate change impacts on rice-based livelihood vulnerability in the lower Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Empirical evidence from Can Tho City and Tra Vinh Province

This paper assesses the livelihood vulnerability and adaptive capacity of rice-based farmers in the lower Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) under the impact of climate change and environmental pressures. We interviewed 600 rice farmers in 19 communes spanning six districts of Can Tho City (middle delta) and Tra Vinh Province (coastal delta). For our analyses, we employed the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) framework and the LVI approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (LVI–IPCC). Results indicate that both study areas are vulnerable to climate change and environmental pressures, but the potential threat is greater in the coastal province. Farmers there have responded to climate change and environmental pressures by increasing production inputs, scaling up production areas and transforming cropping patterns, though with little investment in new equipment. Yet, their livelihoods from rice cultivation, and agricultural production in general, remain unsustainable under climate change, which is a matter of concern. This study provides empirical evidence of the vulnerability factors that most undermine farmers’ adaptive capacity and livelihood sustainability in the study areas. This will help local authorities in providing timely support to agricultural production management. • Farmers’ livelihoods are vulnerable under climatic and environmental pressures. • LVI results show that farmers are more vulnerable in the coastal province. • Primary impacts are drought, pollution, sediment depletion and saltwater intrusion.

Vietnamese high school EFL teachers’ perceptions of teaching cultural contents during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study at Tra Vinh City

In the field of foreign language education, cultural knowledge is as important as language skills. To date, little research explores how Vietnamese EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers perceive cultural teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. To fill such gaps in the literature, this study was conducted on 64 EFL high school teachers in Tra Vinh Province with a questionnaire and 06 participants with an in-depth interview to explore their perceptions of cultural teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially when there is a reduction in the contents of the new curriculum. This article applied the framework of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) adapted from Byram, Gribkova, and Starkey (2002) and the Cultural Iceberg framework to analyze Vietnamese EFL high school teachers’ strategies in teaching cultural content. The findings revealed that teachers still have a positive view of the role of cultural teaching, and they still teach cultural knowledge despite the reduction of contents in English textbooks. Effective strategies applied when teaching online were also revealed.

The Effects of using Pictures on EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Retention

Innovation is necessary for improvement. This inspirational saying triggered the author to try new things for enhancement. This study explored the effect of using pictures to instruct vocabulary in EFL classrooms. At the same time, the EFL students’ attitudes toward this instruction were also examined. To have the data for the study, a group of 70 seventh-graders at Duyen Hai Ethnic Boarding Junior High School in Tra Vinh province were recruited as participants. The study had two parts. The first part of the study dealt with the intervention of vocabulary instruction in the two groups of students. 35 students were chosen for the experimental group, and the other 35 for the control group. The experimental group was exposed to vocabulary instruction with pictures while the control group was taught with the traditional vocabulary teaching method (without using pictures). Both groups had undergone the pretest, posttest, and delayed tests. The results showed that both groups’ scores on vocabulary tests improved, but the experimental group’s scores were higher than that of its counterparts. Then, the study also had the result of the experimental students’ attitudes toward the intervention of using pictures to teach vocabulary. They had a positive attitude toward this teaching strategy. Finally, based on the results of the study, some suggestions and limitations of the study were proposed.

Effects of Students’ Awareness on Developing Young Learners ‘listening skills at a foreign language center in Tra Vinh Province

During the integration period, English is rapidly asserting its importance. Four key abilities — listening, speaking, reading, and writing — are required to learn a language properly. The most important and challenging of these is listening. This current study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the listening skills of young learners. The purpose of the study is to find out the factors that can help students improve their listening skills in particular and learn English well in general. The study was conducted at a language center in Tra Vinh province with the participation of 25 students from 12 to 15 years old who answered questionnaires about activities that can help students improve their listening skills. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The results show that many positive factors can help students develop listening skills, in addition to technology tools, students' awareness is an important factor. Besides, English outside the class (foreign language center) also helps students a lot in developing listening skills.

ISOLATION AND SELECTION OF PHOSPHATE-DISSOLVING BACTERIA FROM VEGETABLE SOIL AND THEIR EFFECT ON PLANT GROWTH PROMOTION IN WATER MORNING GLORY

The study's objective was to isolate and select some bacterial strains able to resolve insoluble phosphorus and stimulate the growth of water spinach from vegetable soil in Tra Vinh province. First, we isolated 16 strains of bacteria able to resolve insoluble phosphorus with diverse colony morphology, including clear white, milky white, light yellow, and dark yellow. Then, we conducted qualitative phosphate solubilization by agar disc diffusion method with the resolved phosphorus ring diameter after five days ranging from 1.47 to 6.07 cm. Twelve strains of bacteria were selected after qualitative determination of soluble phosphorus by the molybdate method. The dissolved phosphorus content ranged from 6.76 to 48.61 mg/L after 10 days of inoculation. Four bacterial strains with the highest soluble phosphorus content, including P5, P8, P11, and P13, were selected to evaluate the effect on the germination rate and growth stimulation of water morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica) under laboratory conditions. The in vivo results showed that two isolate strains (P5 and P11) increased germination rate, stem height, root length, and fresh biomass. They had significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) compared to the other strains. The 16S rRNA sequences showed that the two isolates, P5 and P11, were identified as Burkholderia spp.

Assessment of technical, economic, and allocative efficiencies of shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

AbstractThis study applied a stochastic frontier production model to analyze the technical (TE), allocative (AE), and economic (EE) efficiencies of intensive shrimp farming households, and to identify socioeconomic and shrimp farm‐specific factors (farm size, labor, feed, seed, chemicals/medicine) that influence the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production in the Ca Mau, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, and Tra Vinh provinces of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The AE was calculated based on TE and EE. The stochastic frontier production and cost function model were used to evaluate the EE and TE at the shrimp farming household level. The results showed that the mean TE, AE, and EE of shrimp farming systems were 75%, 68.5%, and 61.4%, respectively. Age, gender, education, experience, cooperatives, and technical training significantly impacted the efficiency of shrimp production. The results suggest that shrimp farmers can improve shrimp productivity and EE by decreasing feed cost (FEE) and medicine/chemical cost (MED) of farm inputs. The study showed that shrimp farmers who participated in training activities, cooperatives, or management boards of aquaculture associations were more technically efficient than other farmers. The findings of this study provide essential information about the TE, AE, and EE of shrimp production, which can help local policy makers and shrimp farmers in the region to make better decisions on how to improve the EE and sustainability of shrimp production in the future. There is a need for recommendations on how to improve policies, technical guidance, and training courses on feed management and feeding practices, water quality, and disease management, to help shrimp farmers in the coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to improve their shrimp production efficiencies in the future.

Analysing the livelihood vulnerability of shrimp farmers to climate change: A case study in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam

Analysing the livelihood vulnerability of shrimp farmers to climate change: A case study in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam

STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN TRA CU DISTRICT, TRA VINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

By using a cross-sectional study, this study aimed to determine the ratio of occupational stress, stress levels and the relationship between stress status and social characteristics of the sample, factors at work, as well as howsecondary school teachers respond to stress in Tra Cu District, Tra Vinh Province. The study conducted a survey to investigate 466 teachers currently teaching at 14 secondary schools in Tra Cu District, Tra Vinh Province, from May 2020 to June 2020. Research results showed that the percentage of teachers who suffered mild stressand severe stress was 18.9% and 8.1%, respectively. The signs of stress in teachers correlated with several factors such as job demand, work control and ways of coping at work. When the average score of the assessment “job demand” or “work control” increased by one point, the rate of stress on teachers was reduced by 23% (95% CI: 0.73 – 0.81) and 12% (95% CI: 0.84 – 0.93) respectively. By contrast, the average score of “confrontation” increased by one point leading to 3.21 times higher (95% CI: 2.61 – 3.96) possibility of causing stress. As well as the average score of "avoidance" increased by one point, the possibility of causing stress in teachers increased 3.03 times (95% CI: 2.45 – 3.74). The findings showed that mental health problems inteachers at secondary schools, in general and in Tra Cu District, Tra Vinh Province in particular, had not received sufficient attention. Therefore, the problems should be taken seriously not only by teachers school administration.

ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON UTILIZING SONGS FOR TEACHING ENGLISH LISTENING SKILLS TO YOUNG LEARNERS A CASE STUDY IN TRA VINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Within English teaching and learning facilities in most schools and English language centers in Vietnam, using songs is considered to be one of the most effective techniques for improving young learners’ communicativecompetencies in English. Although many studies have discussed the technique, few studies have mentioned teachers’ perceptions regarding the employment of songs in teaching listening to young learners in the context of Vietnam. To investigate teachers’ perceptions of using songs in teaching listening to young learners, this study was conducted with a mixed-method approach using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 55 teachers from an English language center in Tra Vinh Province. The results indicated positive perceptions from teachers about utilizing songs in teaching listening to young learners. The teachers tended to enjoy integreating songs in their teaching listening activities. From the findings, the paper concludes by suggesting more research within the state school context specifically targeting teaching listening skills for othergrades using songs.

A survey of Muscovy duck production in rural areas of Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam

In case of livestock development in the rural areas of Tra Vinh province of Vietnam, Muscovy duck breeds are diversified by importing and breeding, which is more valuable for social and economic benefits. A total of 7,921 Muscovy ducks were observed to collect data for this survey to identify the current status of its production, feeding, and performance. Farmers, who owned at least 30 ducks, were interviewed to analyze data ownership, feeding, and growth performance of three breeds relating to the Muscovy including local Muscovy ducks (LMDs), France Muscovy duck (FMDs), and Crossbred Muscovy ducks (CMDs). The findings indicated that most farmers kept a small duck herd of fewer than 100 heads per householder, and the majority of Muscovy duck was LMDs. Farmers fed them local feed resources, with low nutritive diets (CP: 7.35 – 12.0 % and ME: 11.44 - 11.83 MJ/kg DM). A small number of farmers used a concentrate feed (CP: 16.5-19.3; ME: 11.96-12.69 MJ/kg DM) for supple-mentation with the daily weight gain was 16.7 g for LMDs and 22.7 g for CMDs, whilw the FMDs was fed a better quality of concentrate and gave the daily gain of 25.7 g.

Growth and survival rates of domesticated and non-domesticated breeding stocks of Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798 cultured in ponds and tanks

Sourced breeders from domesticated broodstocks have played an essential role in the steady development of shrimp culture in many countries. In the present study, two experiments were performed in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam, to compare the culturing benefits of sourced breeding stocks from domesticated and non-domesticated Penaeus monodon broodstock. The first 90-day experiment was randomly arranged with three repetitions in six earthen ponds (1,500–2,000 m2). Experimental shrimp (PL12) were stocked at a density of 20 ind. m−2. The second experiment was randomly designed with three repetitions in six composite tanks (6.0 m3). PL15 of experimental shrimp were cultured at a density of 30 ind. m−2 for 120 days. Grobest pellet feed (40 % protein) was used in both experiments. At experiment termination, the mean weight (26.09 g) and length (15.68 cm) under pond culture, as well as respective values of 15.57 g, and 13.21 cm under tank culture, for D-shrimp were significantly higher than those of W-shrimp (p&lt;0.05). Similarly, the survival rate (84.33 %), FCR (0.98), and yield (3,558 kg ha−1) under pond culture, as well as the survival rate (87.59 %) and yield (470 g m−3) under tank culture, of D-shrimp were significantly better than those of W-shrimp (p&lt;0.05). These results prove that the grow-out culture of shrimp postlarvae from domesticated broodstocks resulted in superior performance to those from wild broodstocks.

The Effect of Crude Protein and Metabolizable Energy Levels on the Growth Performance of Hungarian Bronze Turkeys Adapted in Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam

A total of 270 Hungarian Bronze turkeys were put in a three x three factorial designs to determine the effect of crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) on turkeys raised in Tra Vinh province. The first factor was CP, with three levels of 17, 19 and 21%. The second factor was ME, with three levels of 2600, 2800 and 3000 kcal/kg. The birds were fed and watered ad libitum throughout the experiment. The results showed that CP and ME had a positive effect on growth performance of turkeys, particularly the final live weight, feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio (P&lt;0.01). The best growth performance was observed in turkeys from the treatment of 21% CP and 2800 kcal/kg ME. At the age of 8 weeks, the highest final live weight of turkeys was 1570.1 g (21% CP) and 1485.7 g (2800 kcal/kg ME). Meanwhile, the best recorded FCR was 2.42 kg/kg (21% CP) and 2.48 kg/kg (2800 kcal/kg) (P&lt;0.05). There was no significant interaction effect of CP and ME on any examined parameters. It can be concluded that Hungarian bronze turkeys rearing in Tra Vinh province achieved best performance with a diet of 21% CP and 2800 kcal/kg during the period of 4 to 8 weeks of age.

The Use of Drugs, Chemicals, Herbs, and Herbal Extract Products in Grow-out Farms of Snakehead (Channa striata) and Pangasius Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This study aimed to investigate the current use of drugs, chemicals, herbs, and herbal extract products in grow-out farms of snakehead (Channa striata) and Pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The survey was conducted with a total of 60 Pangasius catfish grow-out farms in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces, and 60 snakehead grow-out farms in An Giang and Tra Vinh provinces. The results showed that bacterial diseases were commonly reported by snakehead farmers (1-4 episodes per crop) and Pangasius catfish farmers (1 to 12 episodes per crop). Farmers used 12 types of single antibiotics and a mixture of two antibiotics in Pangasius catfish, and eight types of antibiotics in snakehead aquaculture. However, Pangasius catfish and snakehead farmers used enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, which are banned antibiotics according to the Vietnamese authority regulations. For the use of herbs and herbal extract products, a variety of commercial products were used by farmers which claimed different purposes for use. According to the farmers, the quality and effectiveness of these products were questionable. Some farmers used traditional herbs following their experiences using traditional medicines for humans and did not really know about the application doses. Thus, it would be requested for in-depth studies on the use of herbs as on-farm treatments, which would provide evidence for the use of herbs in the industry.

SOLUTIONS TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN THE CONTEXT OF POST-COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TRA VINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

The purpose of this research is to find solutions to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the context of the Post-Covid-19 pandemic in Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam, by collecting secondary data from reports from Tra Vinh Provincial People’s Committee, Tra Vinh Department of Planning and Investment, and Tra Vinh Provincial Statistics Office in the period 2016-2020. The authors used descriptive statistics, synthesis, analysis, evaluation, and expert surveys to verify former hypotheses about small and medium-sized enterprises and search for feasible solutions to enhance the competitiveness of small and mediumsized enterprises in Tra Vinh Province. The study analyzed the situation of small and mediumsized enterprises during the period 2016–2019 regarding the actual operation status, advantages, and limitations in the competition of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tra Vinh, Vietnam. From the research findings, the study proposes solutions to improve competitive advantages for Small and Medium Enterprises in Tra Vinh in thepost-Covid-19 pandemic future.

EVALUATION OF GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE BLACK GLUTINOUS RICE BASED ON AGRO-MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

The study assessed the variations in nine agro-morphological characters among and within the black glutinous rice (Oryza sativa) population from Chau Thanh District, Tra Vinh Province. The nine quantitative agromorphological characters that were measured include culm length, leaf length, leaf width, number of panicles, panicle length, grain length, grain width, number of firm grain, and number of grain per panicle. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean method and principal coordinate analysis by the NTSYS program were applied in this study to classify the nine agro-morphological characters. In addition, tocompare the variations in quantitative characters between O. sativa populations, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The results showed significant differences between the black glutinous rice populations for all quantitative agro-morphological characters. Moreover, some agro-morphological characters showed positive correlations to each other. The dendrogram generated from the analysis process of the agromorphological data divided the O. sativa populations into two groups with unfamiliar features. However, the O. sativa populations assessed exhibited a wide range of variations in morphological characteristics, both within the same population and among other populations with the same strains.

Factors Affecting Secondary School Students’ Choice of High School in Tra Vinh Province, Viet Nam

This study aimed to investigate some main factors affecting secondary students’ choice of high school in Tra Vinh province. A group of 777 participants including 440 urban and 337 rural secondary students in Tra Vinh city and some districts of Tra Vinh province was selected to answer the questionnaire. The results from the questionnaire revealed that three groups of factors (educational environment, school distinction and personal conditions) had nearly equal overall mean scores and influenced students more than the three remaining factors (social network, extra activities and location-transportation) in choosing their high school. In addition, no significant difference was found between urban and rural secondary students in choosing their high school. Based on the findings above, some possible recommendations were suggested to the executive boards of high school, secondary school teachers and secondary school students in order to assist them in choosing their appropriate high school.

Tình trạng dinh dưỡng, tần suất tiêu thụ thực phẩm và một số yếu tố liên quan đến tình trạng dinh dưỡng ở người cao tuổi dân tộc Khmer tại huyện Trà Cú, tỉnh Trà Vinh năm 2020

Background: Malnutrition in the elderly is a very common problem in developing countries. There are many factors affecting the nutritional status of the elderly, especially the habit of consuming foods. Objective: To determine nutritional status and frequency of food consumption and some factors related to nutritional status among the Khmer elderly people. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 614 subjects in 10/17 communes in Tra Cu district, Tra Vinh province in 2020. Results: The rate of malnutrition classified by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was 23,9%; and 62,1% was at risk of malnutrition and 14,0% had normal nutritional status. According to Body Mass Index (BMI), the rate of malnutrition was 27,5%; the rate of overweight and obesity was 14,2% and 58,3% had normal nutritional status. The food groups with the highest frequency of consumption were meat, fish, eggs, tofu, and beans. Nutritional status was related to the frequency of food consumption, low level of physical activity and some characteristics of the study subjects. Conclusion: The study results show a high prevalence of malnutrition, an unequal consumption of food groups and some related factors. Therefore, it is necessary to improve behaviors related to lifestyle and proper dietary practice to prevent malnutrition.