Organic fertilizer made from rice straw helps improve soil for rice cultivation in Ninh Binh Province’s Yen Khanh District

A model of using multifunctional probiotics, which can quickly decompose organic substances, have high heat resistance, and are safe for the environment, is being implemented in Ninh Binh Province’s Yen Khanh District to optimize rice straw for use as a fertilizer.

The design and implementation of this project have been accomplished through a collaborative effort with the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) and funded with UK aid from the UK government. In Vietnam, the project is managed by the Vietnam Association for the Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE).

The research team, led by Dr. Luong Huu Thanh of the Department of Environmental Biology under the Institute of Agricultural Environment, is testing various strains of bacteria, like Bacillus polyfermenticus and actinomycete strains, for their ability to treat rice straw in the laboratory and the field in the suburban area of Hanoi. Results have shown that the bacteria can decompose rice straw in 30 days.

Dr. Luong Huu Thanh, an Institute of Agricultural Environment expert, provides technical guidance on using microbial products for farmers in Ninh Binh province

The research team has selected Khanh Thanh commune, Yen Khanh district, Ninh Binh province, to deploy the pilot model on 4 hectares. The research team has also been developing a simplified method to make it easy for farmers to apply the model.

After conducting a field survey on the treatment of rice straw to farmers and managers in the commune, the research team organized technical training courses to instruct the use of microbial products for farmers directly participating in the pilot model.

During the training, farmers learned how to prepare the rice straw by cutting and milling it down to 15cm in height and then how to prepare the probiotic formula for application, which is simply a mixture of bacteria, water, and sugar. This mixture is applied evenly to a compost pile. After an incubation period of 25-30 days, rice straw under the influence of microorganisms will be decomposed and converted into an organic source for the soil and rice plants in the next crop.

This method also has the advantage of decomposing the entire straw and is easily adaptable by farmers, as it doesn’t require them to change their farming practices. In particular, due to the quick decomposition time of rice straw, it is very suitable for rice-growing regions with a short time to change between crops, such as in the North, where there are only two rice crops, with a very short transition time of fewer than 20 days between the two crops. However, the challenge of removing the rice stubble remains. To this end, VACNE is also researching methods for treating straw right in the field and has been conducting pilot studies on treating rice straw with a mix of bacteria and fungi directly in the field in Dong Nai province. This research is led by Dr. Dinh Van Phuc and his team of researchers at Nguyen Tat Thanh University and has shown promising results in reducing fertilizer use and crop yield. In-field treatment, however, is better suited for the Mekong Delta region due to the rice crop planting and harvest schedule.

The farmer uses multifunctional microbial inoculants to treat rice straw in the field

After implementing the pilot model in Ninh Binh, the research team will evaluate the results and continue to streamline the model’s process before widely deploying it in the whole commune with a total area of about 400ha. The method of scaling up the model in the entire commune is expected to be favorable as in the process of implementing the pilot model; the research team provided technical training on the use of multifunctional microbial inoculants to treat rice straw after harvesting rice for farmers, agricultural officers and representatives of villages in Khanh Thanh commune.

The research team not only supports probiotics for farmers participating in the pilot model but also continues to support all farmers in Khanh Thanh commune using the product to compost straw into fertilizer in the field. This is very meaningful because in recent years, after harvesting the crop, up to 50% of the amount of straw has been burnt in the field in Khanh Thanh commune.

The Vietnamese Government has issued many legal regulations and sanctions against rice straw burning. Farmers in Khanh Thanh commune also know many ways to handle rice straw, such as making animal feed, manure, and mushrooms. However, rice straw burning has remained popular as it is a traditional practice, while the current rice straw treatment measures are complicated and have little benefit for farmers.

The research team hopes that through field experiments in Hanoi, the application of the team’s multifunctional probiotics under the pilot model in Khanh Thanh commune will be streamlined and satisfy the practical requirements of rice production in many regions of the country.