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In the midwest plain, where there are problem soils, zero tillage, raising
soybean between rice, integration of rice and shrimp, raised beds for growing sandal
trees, and raising shrimp in the canals have been studied. In the upland areas, where
environmental degradation is a major problem, coffee trees have been planted
across the slopes and green manure crops or legumes planted between the rows for
the first three years. Different systems of land preparation have been tested for
growing upland rice. Forest and abandoned lands were given to farmers.
Studies in the Mekong River Delta focused on various rice-based farming
systems models. Some of the models (e.g., rice-shrimp in fresh water, rice-shrimp in
saline area, rice-fish in deepwater area, rice-fish integrated with fruit trees and beef
cattle or dairy cattle, and rice-cash crops in floating rice areas) were initially
developed by advanced farmers in the region.
Technology transfer
The transfer of technology was done mainly through demonstration plots.
Researchers worked extensively with farmers to establish pilot farms in different
ecological zones.
Institutions
The general level of interest in farming systems among scientists and planners in
Vietnam is high. FSR in Vietnam is carried out by different agencies such as the
National Institute of Agricultural Sciences (NIAS), the National Institute of
Agricultural Planning and Projections (NIAPP), the National Institute of
Agricultural Economic Research (NAER), the Mekong Delta Farming Systems
Research and Development Centre of the University of Cantho, and various
universities. Vietnam is also an active participant in the regional project Farming
Systems Development in Asia: Crop/Livestock/Fish Integration in Rainfed Areas.
However, there was a feeling that there was fragmentation in the support to
agriculture at the separate research centers. This led to a project proposal for
coordinated farn~ing systems research and evaluation in Vietnam.
Use of resource maps
FARMING APPROACH
General land-use maps have been extensively used in Vietnam for physical
planning. The crops most suited to the given physical conditions (e.g., climate, soil,
and irrigation regime) are chosen with no account of the relative economic value of
various crops.