IN INOCULANTS Nodulaid - 17th International Nitrogen Fixation ...

17 th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation
Fremantle, Western Australia
27 November – 1 December 2011
Session Details: Thursday 1 December 2011
Concurrent Session 16 – Symbiotic Impacts & Emissions
1100 - 1230
Authors: Tran Yen Thao 1 , David Herridge 2 , Rosalind Deaker 3 , Le Nhu Kieu 4 , Phan Thi Cong 5
1 Research Institute for Oil and Oil Plants, 171-175 Ham Nghi Street, District 1, Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam
2 University of New England, Primary Industries Innovation Centre, Tamworth
Agricultural Institute, 4 Marsden Park Road, Calala, New South Wales 2340
3 Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Ross St. Building A03, University
of Sydney, NSW 2006
4 National Soils and Fertilizers Institute, Dong Ngac Village, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam
5 Institute of Agricultural Science, 121 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam
Presentation Title: Change in farmer attitudes and practices in Vietnam in the use of inoculant compared
with baseline
Presentation Time: 1200 – 1220
The survey was constructed to provide the critical information that could be evaluated against baseline attitudes
established from a similar survey carried out at the beginning of the project. It targeted farmers, extension
workers as well as local agricultural technicians who are responsible for extending technological advances and
innovations at agricultural localities. We conclude from this survey that there has been an increase in farmer
awareness of inoculants and their role in legume growth promotion through biological N fixation. Almost all
farmers in the final survey knew about inoculants and understood what they do. This was a result of the training
and extension programe. Their knowledge mainly came from workshops and demonstrations. This survey also
indicated a great interest by farmers and extension officers in future use of legume inoculants for soybean and
groundnut in the target areas in Vietnam mostly because of economic reasons and because of their interest and
desire to utilise new and novel technologies. The lack of use at the time of the second survey largely reflects
lack of availability in the market place. The survey indicated that legume inoculants would be adopted readily in
Vietnam provided they were accessible and easy to apply. Increasing production and supply of high quality
legume inoculants in Vietnam, coupled with an effective extension program, should result in high adoption of
inoculants. The further extension program would still need to emphasise the replacement of fertiliser N inputs,
which represent a substantial part of the cost of growing these crops. The whole package should lead to
increased farmer incomes and the relieving of poverty in many agricultural areas.
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