Testing the crop nutrient management application

Within the framework of the Fertilizer Right Project (FerRight) that is chaired and sponsored by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), on September 30, the Can Tho City Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection coordinated with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to organize an assessment of user acceptance of the "Crop Nutrient Management" application (referred to as the RCM application).

The pilot development of the RCM application is one of the activities to launch the Fertilizer Right Project in Vietnam, with the goal of receiving feedback from users. From there, the development team will improve the application, ensuring it is suitable for the practical farming conditions of each locality.

Ms. Tran Thi Kim Thuy, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said that the RCM application will help farmers access technical advances and test field reality accurately.

Based on farmers' input data such as field area, yield target, sowing method, rice variety used for sowing, fertilizer type, etc., the RCM application will provide recommendations on fertilizer dosage, fertilizer source, time of fertilization, and water management.

At the same time, the application also calculates the cost of fertilizer investment for each specific field based on the needs of the crop according to the maximum yield that can be achieved on each different land area.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the application, it is expected that in the winter-spring crop of 2024-2025 and summer-autumn of 2025, the Can Tho City Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection will select 24 farmer households in three key rice-growing localities., including Vinh Thanh, Co Do, and Thoi Lai, to build pilot models. Each model has a scale of 1,050 m², with three independent farming variables: 500 m² cultivated according to traditional practices; 500 m² of cultivation as recommended by the RCM application; 500 m² cultivated according to the RCM application's recommendations but without nitrogen fertilization.

Ms. Rowena Castillo, IRRI's project management and development expert, said that the RCM application will be run on the website platform at the address: https://webapps.irri.org/vn/rcm-rebuild/.

User reviews and feedback on advantages and disadvantages of the RCM application are very essential for the application to be the most effective when officially launched.

Previously, in April 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, launched the Fertilizer Right Project in Vietnam with the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) as the project owner and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as the implementing unit.

The project is implemented in three Red River Delta provinces, namely Hai Duong, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh, and in three provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, including Dong Thap, Soc Trang, and Can Tho City. The project includes three components. Specifically, component 1 is developing technology and tools to use fertilizer effectively in rice growing. Component 2 will improve communication capacity for stakeholders on correct fertilization practices for rice plants. And component 3 is to monitor and evaluate project implementation.

It is expected that over a period of 4 years (2024-2027), with an estimated budget of USD 4.4 million, the Fertilizer Right Project will support farmers in the above-mentioned localities to access advanced techniques and technology and precision agricultural practices. From there, use inputs optimally, especially fertilizers, to improve efficiency and effectiveness of fertilizer use, increase income, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.