Field collaboration in Can Tho drives scientific progress for OrganoRice.
In March 2024, the OrganoRice project reached another key milestone as German project partners visited Vietnam for an intensive working phase in the Mekong Delta. The visit included a workshop at Can Tho University (CTU) on the 14 and 15 March and several field visits in the provinces of Vinh Long, An Giang, and Dong Thap.
The internal workshop at CTU brought together interdisciplinary teams from both the German and Vietnamese side, including experts in plant protection, fertilization, rice quality, soil science, socioeconomics, remote sensing, and data capture and processing. Joint presentations and discussions addressed a wide range of topics from rice variety selection to organic fertilization and pest control strategies.
Key highlights from the workshop included:
- Promising results in weed and pest control trials with biological methods such as Azolla fertilization and blue algae and utilizing ducks for the control of the Golden Apple Snail.
- Fertilization trials indicating good performance of fishery-based and crop-derived organic fertilizers
- Progress in pesticide residue monitoring, including the selection of 45 active compounds in different pesticides for the ongoing analysis of soil and water samples from Vinh Long
- Remote sensing analysis confirming rice as the dominant land use across the Mekong Delta region, with a high classification accuracy above 80%
The workshop also addressed planning of socio-economic inquiries, preparing surveys and interviews with farmers, traders, and local decision-makers. This data collection started immediately after the workshop, with logistical support and permissions coordinated by the CTU.
The field visits and collaborative activities further cemented the strong working relationships between project partners and advanced the scientific basis for sustainable organic rice farming. The OrganoRice team is committed to delivering practical, science-based solutions for resilient agriculture in the Mekong Delta and beyond.
