Cam Thanh Commune, Cam Lo District is a mountainous commune at the South bank of Hieu River. Due to the chemicals used in the war, forests were completely destroyed and all is left now are clear mountains and hills. In the area, many limestone mountains divide the terrain, making it difficult to construct large lakes and reserves to store water in the dry season. It is only possible to construct small and separate irrigation structures to locally water cultivation areas like Phan Xa lake, Quat Xa pump station, etc. With great potential from large land area, it is suitable t grow short and long-day industrial plants, especially peanut, the main profit generator of the locality. Due to water shortage, the winter-to-spring harvest uses rainwater while the summer-to-fall harvest land is abandoned. Due to steep slopes, in the monsoon season the soil?s top surface is eroded while in the dry season, the land is degraded and eroded, which greatly affects agriculture farming.
Since the pump station was installed with the role of watering 100 hectares of vegetables and 30 hectares of rice for Quat Xa Village, it has been more independent in the water source in the summer-to-fall harvest. However, the conventional farming method relies on the spread of water from higher to lower places, which is not the appropriate way to water dry plants, while the soil is mixed clay and absorbs water well, therefore this method wastes water, makes it difficult for intensive farming and is energy-consuming. Quat Xa is the only region in Cam Lo District that can grow peanuts as it has water for the summer-to-fall harvest with an area of 30 hectares. However, because the water source is unstable, yield is about 15 quintals/ha, not enough to meet the demand for seeds for 1000 hectares in the winter harvest in Cam Thanh Commune and Cam Lo District. To cultivate in the winter harvest, farmers have to buy low-quality peanut seeds in the market, which have low sprouting percentage. Due to the unclear origin, the seeds are not suitable for the condition of the area and therefore die a lot during cultivation, leading to harvest loss.
Farming habit: This is the land with the long-standing tradition of planting peanut on flat soil and using inorganic fertilizers. The stem of the peanuts is partly used for livestock?s food; the rest is dried and burned into ashes. In the area, many households also raise livestock but the organic fertilizers are rarely used for peanut plants but rather sold to other regions which grow rubber, pepper. Therefore, the soil is less spongy and rich.
Other than the drawbacks in peanut cultivation as mentioned, the effectiveness of peanut production is seriously affected by the unpredictable climate, especially in the dry season with harsh weather conditions like heat spells and droughts, which are more intensive and long in recent years. Because yield and productivity are low, the peanut farmers? income is low and unstable.
The problem with peanut production at Cam Thanh Commune is land degradation and erosion becoming more serious in the short and long term due to climate change, droughts in particular. This is affecting agricultural production, including peanut farming, the traditional plant and the main source of income of the residents. Solutions include the combination of technical methods to promote water use efficiency, choose drought-resistant varieties suitable to the local soil conditions, maintain crop yield and reduce risks due to increasingly severe and frequent droughts in recent years, which tend to increase in the global climate change.
To solve the problems with peanut production at the locality, Technologies Association of Cam Lo District proposes the project ?Contribute to a sustainable peanut production through demonstrating model of extensive peanut farming to adapt to droughts at Quat Xa Village, Cam Thanh Commune, Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province.?
The objectives of the project is to increase the adaptive capacity of the community to deal with negative impacts of droughts in peanut production through creating model applying advanced irrigation and farming technologies to increase the efficiency of using the water resource in the intensive peanut farming region of Quat Xa Village, Cam Thanh Commune, Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province. The experiment of different drought-resistant peanut varieties suitable to the local soil condition, application of ??? watering method, covering with nylon plastic to keep the moisture, sustainable land use by suitable and balanced fertilizer use, general pest control methods will maintain high yield, reduce risk and take initiative of the impacts of droughts. The project focuses on promoting the community?s and residents? technical skills in applying technical solutions about breeds, farming methods, sustainable land and water use to take initiatives in growing peanuts and adapt to droughts and the unpredictable climate. The success of the experimental model will be the example for other peanut farming communes in the district as well as other regions with similar conditions.
Specific objectives of the project
1. Raise community?s awareness and understanding of the importance of and the adaptive capacity to climate change in general and peanut production in particular.
2. Create model to apply advanced technologies in irrigation and farming to reduce the effects of droughts and prevent land degradation, increase water use effectiveness on peanut intensive farming area of Quat Xa Village, Cam Thanh Commune, cam Lo Distritct, Quang Tri Province. THe project focuses on improving technical skills of the community in applying technical methods about breeds, cultivating methods, sustainable use of water and land to take the initiative in peanut production and adapt to droughts and the unpredictable climate. THe project will observe and draw experience from the execution of the models, then recommend for the localities. The successful experiment of the model will set an example for other peanut farming areas in the district as well as other regions with similar condition.
3. Increase the collection of information and statistics about impacts of climate change to the locality for background in finding solutions to climate change in peanut farming.
Main outcomes of the project:
i. 10 to 12 training classes and training conferences held for 500-600 attendants to partly raise related agent?s awareness and understanding of the impacts of climate change and its adaptive solutions.
ii. The intensive peanut farming model on 40 hectares (farm for 4 harvests with a total area of 40 hectares) being successful will contribute to the reduction of risks and difficulties due to droughts and expand watering area, therefore reduce watering expenses, land degradation, increase products? value on a unit of area, farmers? income and reduce poverty for participating households.
iii. Lesson learned while carrying out the model will be shared to replicate the model at places with similar conditions.