Ento-pro trial with SADU project

Planting of persimmon trees was widely promoted between 1995 and 2000 among the ethnic minority population displaced by the Hoa Binh dam. By 2000, Da Bac district had over 500 hectares under red (Yen Thon and Nhan Hau) persimmon, but farmers soon found that they could only sell a small share of their production and for very low prices.

An assessment of persimmon production and markets, carried out in November 2005, showed that Da Bac growers face very strong competition from other production areas in Vietnam and China and from other fruits. Red persimmon faces particularly acute marketing problems due to abundant supply and weak demand. Inappropriate cultivation practices and poor product quality further exacerbate market access problems for Da Bac growers.

Persimmon value chain interventions started in July 2006. These interventions were designed in consultation with a district, multi-stakeholder working group, under the guidance of an expert from the Fruits and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI).

The initial emphasis was to expose local service providers and farmers to opportunities through a series of exchange visits to other production areas and a study tour to urban markets, meetings with wholesale traders, and follow-up discussion sessions at commune and village levels. These activities generated demand for new, non-astringent cultivars (mainly fuyu) with promising market potential. Non-astringent persimmon does not require post-harvest treatment (forcing or soaking) and has a longer shelf-life than red and soaked varieties. Non-astringent varieties are also harvested early, around August, when there is no other persimmon in the market.

During the early intervention stages, farmers formed four interest groups – one in Da Bac town and three in Tu Ly, Cao Son and Toan Son communes – for future exchange of information and cooperation. In October 2006, 49 group members decided to graft fuyu persimmon using existing trees as rootstock. FAVRI provided training on topworking and grafting methods. Planting material was purchased collectively from Moc Chau district, Son La province, the only area in northern Vietnam where non-astringent persimmon grafts and seedlings can be sourced. Farmers invested VND 7.2 million in grafting material and grafted about 300 trees. Eight farmers have also purchased fuyu seedlings.

As farmers began investing in new cultivars and showing renewed interest in persimmon cultivation, the intervention focus shifted towards promotion of good cultivation practices for meeting quality requirements of urban consumers. Between February and July 2007, many farmers, district and commune officers, and village leaders received training on persimmon cultivation, participated in several information sharing sessions with experts from FAVRI and the National Institute for Plant Protection (NIPP), and joined a second study tour to Moc Chau, where a few farmers already have experience in growing and selling non-astringent persimmon.

Recently, farmers in Hao Ly and Muong Chieng have expressed interest in joining persimmon activities. This August, a group of about 40 farmers from these two communes will participate in a study tour to Moc Chau. Many of these farmers are expected to buy grafts during the visit. They will receive training from two selected growers who are now very experienced in topworking and grafting.

 

Insect infestations remain one of the main obstacles to the successful marketing of Da Bac persimmon, causing the fruit to yellow prematurely, drop from the trees, and acquire many black spots after forcing. Farmers have expressed much interest in accessing appropriate and affordable pest control technologies. In August, farmers will participate in a trial of Ento-Pro, a cheap and environmentally friendly protein bait which is just starting to be commercialised. This trial will be implemented by PPRI and the manufacturer in an area of about five hectares under Yen Thon persimmon. In November, farmers will carefully harvest the best fruit from treated orchards for sale in Long Bien night market, Hanoi, through selected wholesale traders from Dac So commune, Ha Tay province. This will give an indication of the premium that can be fetched for red persimmon fruit which has not been damaged by insects.

 

The development of support services will be essential for the future competitiveness and profitability of persimmon cultivation in Da Bac. In this context, in November 2006, two projects have been established to test non-astringent varieties under local agro-climatic conditions. One project is being implemented by the Da Bac Economic Section, with funding from the Hoa Binh Department of Science and Technology (DOST), while the other project is being developed by FAVRI, with funding from the national Tea and Fruits Program. In the context of these two projects, about 1,600 seedlings were planted in nine farmer orchards. In the future, these trees (and those grafted by farmers) will provide a local source of affordable grafting material.

In the future, emphasis will be given to the development of appropriate support services, scaling-up the grafting of high-potential cultivars into existing rootstock, adoption of good cultivation and post-harvest practices, market testing and promotion of new varieties, and group marketing.

Summary of Ento-pro trial

Objectives: To help Da Bac growers better control pests.

Participants: with 31 participants including 19 growers (9 women and 4 ethnical people), 9 commune and district officcers, 2 consultants and 01 SADU staff. For more information, please see the attached.

 Activities: In class training and practices in field.

 - In class training: Mr Tuu and Mr Thong (consultants of NIPP) have supplied trainees with theory knowledge about infestation of pests to fruits.

 - According to consultants, pests are main harmful object in fruit-tree regions, they make to addle and drop the fruits. In order to prevent the pests, growers can use many ways such as use pesticides, clean up persimmon gardens... In addition, the consultants have also presented about the effects of ENTO-PRO to anti pests. ENTO-PRO has tested successfully somewhere such as Luc Ngan (Bac Giang province) Thanh Ha (Hai Duong province). However, growers should link closely together to use the protein bait productively. If growers use the protein bait on wide areas, It will become more effective.

- Practices in field: The trial located at Kim Ly hamlet (Tu Ly commune), there are a lot of persimmon here with the concentrated density. Total areas of the trial about 7ha of persimmon with 20 hoseholds.

- Consultants have shown growers how to mix and how to spray. Before spraying, it is very necessary that growers should collect all decayed fruits to reject them. According to consultants', with 01 pump including 10 litres of fresh water + 01 litre of ENTO-PRO + 01 gram of Regent 800 WG (pesticide) it can spray on 0.5 ha of persimmon (equivalent with 180 - 200 persimmon trees).

The result of the practices, growers have sprayed on about 2.500 persimmon trees (equivalent with 7ha), most of them is Nhan Hau variety.