Dinh Huy Hoang brings advanced Israeli agricultural know-how to Vietnam. (Source: VNA) DakLak (VNS/VNA) - Wanting to bring consumers clean and chemical-freevegetable products, an ambitious young crop scientist has acquiredstate-of-the-art technology from Israel to create an organic garden in the aridland of the Central Highlands.
Dinh Huy Hoang majored in crop science at the agro-forestry faculty of the TayNguyen (Central Highlands) University in Dak Lak province. During his sophomoreyear, he heard about an agriculture course opening in Israel, applied and gotin.
The best part about the course was the combination of theoretical learning andpractical field experience, Hoang said excitedly. “A trip to Israel, a countrywith advanced agriculture, was a dream of mine for a long time. So when thechance came up, I decided to temporarily halt my study in Vietnam to go learnsomething new,” he said.
Hoang’s decision provided him with a rewarding experience, which he describedas "awesome" and "beyond imagination".
“Vegetables are grown on vast tracts of land, stretching over thousands ofhectares, but are all under the roof of greenhouses and domes,” Hoang said.This is in stark contrast to the small-scale agriculture in Vietnam, where afield under 2 hectares is considered large enough.
But the most "mystifying" part for Hoang and other Vietnamesestudents taking part in the course was that despite the extreme weatherconditions in Israel, where temperatures in some parts go as high as 50 degreesin summer, “the vegetables and plants all look fresh and have a healthy greencolor.”
Nearly every step of cultivation is done in the greenhouses, outfitted withmisting systems and air conditioners that help to maintain optimal conditionsfor vegetables to develop throughout the year, independent of the weather.
Hoang said that to counter the adverse land condition, which is stony, dry, andsteep in some parts of southern Israel, the Israelis had to level big plots ofland, then pour sand (20-30cm thick) on top. In addition, given the lowrainfall, the Israelis had to drill wells reaching 500-2,000 metres intounderground water aquifers, or to filter saltwater to use for human consumptionand agriculture.
“Contrary to the wasteful practice of surface irrigation used in Vietnam, inIsrael the preferred method is drip irrigation, deployed via a crisscrossnetwork of pipes buried in the soil,” Hoang said. “Nutrients and fertiliserdissolved in the water will be delivered to every plant root in the rightamount, saving a lot of resources.”
In Vietnam, the use of biological control agents to suppress plant disease isnot new and is over the use of chemical pesticides. However, the Israelis takeit to a whole new level, Hoang said, adding that he learned ways to utilise"natural enemies" of insects like ladybug larvae or worm-catching bees.
Just a year in the Middle Eastern country has been inspiring to Hoang. Comparedto Israel, the conditions in the Central Highlands are more favourable – coolerweather, fertile soil, and abundant water. Combined with Israeli technology,the results would be outstanding, he said.
After completing the programme in October 2015, Hoang rented a one-hectare plotin Buon Ma Thuot city to start achieving his dream.
In order to grow organic vegetables, he spent an entire year improving soilconditions, including repeated soil sampling in lab tests to make sure it hadreached required levels.
He recruited other graduates from his university to join forces in building theinfrastructure of his dream garden, like hothouses, workshops, furniture, inaddition to various soil cultivation measures.
Since Hoang is striving for 100 per cent organic vegetable cultivation, meaningno chemical plant protection products, vegetables are intercropped withstrong-smelling herbs like lemongrass, cilantro, or basil, to drive pests away.In addition, for better protection, he uses a mixture of garlic, ginger, chili,mixed in white wine to spray onto plants. According to Hoang, this liquidsubstance has an acrid smell that is a major turn-off for insects and can beeasily washed off, posing virtually no threat to consumers’ health.
During certain days of the week, students from the Central Highlands come tothe garden to help with the harvesting. This provides them with practicalexperience and a little additional income to cover living expenses.
Aside from vegetable cultivation, Hoang also raises rabbits, an initiative heplans to expand so that his farm also produces meat, eggs and milk, besidesvegetables.
Right now, co-operation with a number of supermarkets across the city hasensured a stable consumption of his produce. “In this early period, the profitsare used to expand or develop the garden or to pay the students. We onlystarted making a profit last August, about 90 million VND (4,000 USD),” Hoangsaid.
Professor Phan Van Tan, former head of the university’s agro-forestry faculty,said organic farming takes a lot of effort and financial resources, whichresult in higher prices and make it difficult to sell.
However,“a fresh graduate who commits to organic vegetables is a rare and daringthing,” Tan said. “Not many young people are drawn into this path or are ableto think up this plan. Plus, with the growing demand for clean agricultural products,I think his produce will surely catch on,” he added.-VNA
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