Use of innovative fertilisers can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Participants at a workshop on innovative fertilisers and microbial-inoculants for better soil health in Hà Nội yesterday. VNS Photo Tố Như

HÀ NỘI - The Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and its partners introduced innovative fertilisers and microbial inoculants to improve soil health at a workshop in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

It was part of the Fertilise Right (FerRight) project, which is jointly conducted by the Plant Protection Department, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The FerRight project, approved by MARD, helps protect soil resources by providing practical guidance to farmers and encourages the application of new-generation fertilisers.

According to Nghiêm Quang Tuấn, vice director general of the Plant Protection Department, the project aims to maintain soil fertility, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase farmers' income.

The project is being implemented over four years (from 2024 to 2027) in six provinces: Hải Dương, Thái Bình, Nam Định, Cần Thơ, Sóc Trăng and Đồng Tháp, with the goal of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of fertiliser use.

Tuấn emphasised the importance of reducing the amount of chemical fertilisers in agricultural production.

"The use of inappropriate fertilisers not only increases costs, but also pollutes the environment and increases greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge is how to improve rice quality, reduce carbon emissions and increase economic value from rice, straw and carbon credits," he said.

Ralph Bean, US agriculture counselor to Việt Nam, shared the initial results of the FerRight project.

He said the team had developed an initial database of innovative fertilisers, conducted field experiments to determine optimal fertiliser application rates, and built tools to support farmers in adopting sustainable soil nutrient management practices.

The collaboration between organisations such as the Plant Protection Department, USDA and IRRI not only helped address immediate challenges, but would also lay the foundation for further research. In the future, the FerRight project would continue to promote research, improve support tools and strengthen connections with farmers and stakeholders to promote the application of sustainable solutions in agricultural production.

Nguyễn Văn Hùng, senior scientist at IRRI, said the project created a database on soil, fertiliser and cultivation management along with technology for sowing in rows combined with fertilisation to increase the efficiency of nutrient use.

He said special attention should be paid to related and supporting technologies, such as mechanised sowing combined with fertilisation, precision and digital agriculture, use of organic fertiliser from straw, and development of improved fertilisers. This would require active participation and contribution from relevant actors, including ministries, institutes, schools and private enterprises.

It was necessary to improve capacity building and change the behaviours of farmers and managers, he said.

One of the notable solutions introduced at the workshop is the use of biochar, a carbon-rich solid that can improve soil microorganisms, regulate carbon and nitrogen cycles, increase water retention and improve soil structure.

Leslie Honicker, a USDA agronomist, said soil health was facing a number of challenges, including salinity, pH imbalance, microbial imbalance, pollution and nutrient toxicity.

"Biochar helps increase fertiliser efficiency, chlorophyll content and crop yield. Its large-particle structure increases nitrate uptake, while improving soil fertility," she said.

New-generation fertilisers, including organic fertilisers, slow-release fertilisers, controlled-release fertilisers, nano-fertilisers and bio-products, were expected to optimise nutrient use efficiency under a variety of growing conditions, she said.

These fertilisers would not only improve crop yields but also contribute to reducing carbon emissions in rice cultivation, promoting sustainable agriculture. The development of new fertilisers could help improve fertiliser use efficiency for different crops and in agro-ecological conditions, she said.