Use algae to prevent drought and increase crop productivity

Hundreds of hectares of wild sandy area in Thua Thien-Hue province have been put into agricultural production thanks to the effectiveness of the exploitation of seaweed from lagoons as fertilizer, both keeping soil moisture and increasing productivity for plants.

Farmers in Quang Thai commune, Thua Thien-Hue prevent drought for crops with salvaged oars in Tam Giang lagoon.

The sandy area of ​​Quang Thai commune has been abandoned for many years by drought, lack of water, no alluvial soil.

In order to overcome the drought and expand production area, many farming households have exploited seaweed on Tam Giang lagoon as fertilizer, turning this barren land into a plantation area for tobacco and vegetables. color, bringing stable income, helping many farmers escape poverty.

Mr. Van Duc Thang, Nam Giang village, Quang Thai commune, Quang Dien district, said that previously, this sandy area could not grow any trees, trees planted down without dying due to lack of water were also stunted and inefficient. Thanks to seaweed, his family planted more than 700 tobacco plants, earning over 30 million VND a year.

Realizing the benefits from seaweed, many farmers actively exploited seaweed as fertilizer and replicated this farming method. Therefore, right in this harsh land, people can intercrop, increase crops of all year round.

Currently, in the commune, there are 30 hectares of land used by people to use as fertilizer. According to many households here, in addition to providing nutrients to the soil, seaweed also has a moisturizing and water retention function, which helps to improve soil and soil, making soil porous.

To make seaweed effective, in the process of soil preparation, spread a layer of seaweed on the soil before plowing. When mature plants have to apply directly to the tree about 20-30cm, about 1 month applied once.

Not only used as fertilizer, moisturizing plants, algae is also used to feed chicken, duck, pig and some freshwater fish. Mr. Phan Nong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Thai Commune, said that there are 400 hectares of water surface in the commune, where there are well-developed seaweed trees everywhere.

Thanks to that, the whole commune has developed more than 480 cage of carp for average income of 50 million VND / cage.

However, in order to protect the environment, farmers also need to limit seaweed exploitation in remote areas, where the water level is deep (because it is a shelter and provides food for brackish aquatic species. ), avoiding ecological imbalance, contributing to protecting aquatic resources and lagoon environment.

Seaweed is a type of aquatic grass that grows in brackish water, year-round, but most from October to May next year. In Tam Giang lagoon area, there are many different types of algae, in which the type of seaweed rowing and burning parts are usually exploited by farmers.

Rong is exploited and sold to vegetable growers for about 200,000 VND - 300,000 VND / ton. Utilizing seaweed in agricultural production not only saves the cost of fertilizer but also aims at producing clean agricultural products and protecting the lagoon environment system.