Biotechnology - tool for sustainable agriculture

To ensure sustainable agricultural development, biotechnology is one of the four science-technology fields prioritised by Son La province, aiming to create varieties of plants, animals, microbial strains, and products with high productivity, quality, competitiveness and economic efficiency.

 

Cordyceps products of Tay Bac Product Research and Development Company in Son La city.

Biotechnology is a high-tech field, based on the science of life, combined with processes and technical equipment, to create technologies that use the activities of microorganisms, and plant and animal cells to produce high quality products on an industrial scale, serving socio-economic development and environmental protection.

Currently, the province's agricultural production has achieved high and stable productivity, forming linkage chains, yet product quality still remains limited. The abuse of chemical pesticides, antibiotics, and growth stimulants in crop cultivation and livestock breeding leads to large chemical residues in agricultural products. Rudimentary processing technology also leads to low product quality and great losses, significantly affecting the competitiveness of products in both domestic and foreign markets. Biotechnology application is considered an important and key tool to promote safe agricultural development. Through science and technology projects, the province is focusing on a number of biotechnology research tasks, contributing to the development of safe and effective agricultural production, as well as the conservation and development of precious and rare genetic resources.

The Moc Chau area for the research, application and transfer of scientific and technological advances in agriculture and forestry under the Department of Science and Technology is a typical unit engaging in scientific research and bio-technology application in production. To date, it has planted many new varieties with high productivity and quality on a trial basis, such as Phalaenopsis orchids, seedless grapes, hybrid yellow melons, bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and lisianthus flowers; and researched biological products in pest control for plants, providing safe products for the market; and cooperated in propagating “Lan kim tuyen” (scientifically known as Anoectochilus setaceus Blume) by the tissue culture method.

In addition to introducing new varieties and increasing productivity in cultivation, biotechnology is widely applied in grafting techniques and off-season production. The province has put into production a set of varieties with different growing times, extended harvest time, and improved productivity and quality, including four sugarcane varieties, 19 corn varieties, five rice varieties, two tea varieties, one coffee variety, and 20 fruit tree varieties. It has grafted and improved over 13,000 hectares of fruit trees, mainly late ripening and regional longans; GL4, GL6 and Thai mangoes; Booth 7 avocado; Cao Phong and Vinh oranges; MC1 and Thai persimmons; and French and American peaches.

In aquaculture, the application of biotechnology in cage fish farming on hydroelectric reservoirs is widely carried out. Some units and businesses in the province have successfully produced fish larvae by the hand-stripping method, egg incubation using a jar system, the outcrossing method, and using chemicals to create high-quality, single-sex breeds. In the livestock sector, biotechnology is applied in embryo transfer for purebred dairy cows in Moc Chau, and artificial insemination of cows using high-quality Brahman cattle semen. Biogas technology or biological products are used to treat livestock waste to minimise environmental pollution. Additionally, active probiotics are used in household-scale feed fermenting and processing.

With its many benefits, biotechnology is increasingly being applied in agricultural production, regarded as a breakthrough solution for the comprehensive, green, and sustainable development of agriculture.

Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Recent news

  • 'Son La attracts investment in commercial housing and urban area projects

    Son La attracts investment in commercial housing and urban area projects

    BUSINESS -
    With decisive policies to remove bottlenecks in land clearance and to improve the legal framework, Son La province has attracted numerous investors with projects ranging from hundreds to thousands of billions of VND in the fields of commercial housing and urban development. These projects have contributed to transforming the urban landscape and have become a key driving force for local economic growth.
  • 'Services, trade maintain strong growth momentum

    Services, trade maintain strong growth momentum

    BUSINESS -
    Son La’s services sector outperformed its 2025 plan, generating 16.77 trillion VND (638.04 million USD), up 9.5% from 2024, reinforcing its role as a key pillar of the provincial economy. Double-digit growth in retail sales and exports underscored the effectiveness of market-stabilisation efforts and tighter controls on trade fraud.
  • 'Son La honours youth volunteers, keeps alive spirit of Co Noi crossroads

    Son La honours youth volunteers, keeps alive spirit of Co Noi crossroads

    SOCIETY -
    The provincial Youth Union, in coordination with Son La Newspaper and Radio-Television and the provincial Music, Song and Dance Theater, on December 31 staged a programme titled “The Enduring Spirit of Youth Volunteers,” to pay tribute to fallen heroes and youth volunteers who died at the Co Noi crossroads.
  • 'Son La ensures construction progress of boarding schools in border communes

    Son La ensures construction progress of boarding schools in border communes

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Ha Trung Chien, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, on December 31 chaired a meeting on the investment and construction of primary-secondary boarding schools in border communes. The meeting was held in person at the provincial People’s Committee headquarters and connected online to the People’s Committees of border communes.
  • 'Extra efforts needed to accelerate progress of Hoa Binh-Moc Chau expressway project

    Extra efforts needed to accelerate progress of Hoa Binh-Moc Chau expressway project

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Dinh Viet, who is head of the Steering Committee for the construction of the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway section through Son La province, chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee on December 31 to assess the project's progress in 2025 and put forward key tasks for 2026.
  • 'Son La moves to finalise classification of ethnic minority, mountainous areas

    Son La moves to finalise classification of ethnic minority, mountainous areas

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Hau on December 29 chaired a meeting of the appraisal council and its assisting team to review results on the classification of villages and communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, including the designation of particularly disadvantaged hamlet and the categorisation of communes into Areas I, II and III across the province.
  • ' Zero-VND Market” brings Tet goods to Ngoc Chien

    Zero-VND Market” brings Tet goods to Ngoc Chien

    SOCIETY -
    Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today) Newspaper, in coordination with the People’s Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, on December 28 organised a “Zero-VND Market” to deliver Lunar New Year (Tet) gifts to local residents in 2025, aiming to support households facing difficult circumstances.
  • 'Son La Tourism Contests 2025 awards presented

    Son La Tourism Contests 2025 awards presented

    TOURISM -
    The Organising Committee of the Son La Tourism Contests 2025 held a ceremony on December 26 to announce and present awards. The event was attended by representatives of provincial departments and agencies, as well as authors and groups whose works won prizes.
  • 'Cultural identity of Dao ethnic group preserved

    Cultural identity of Dao ethnic group preserved

    CULTURE -
    Located in Thao Nguyen ward, Ta Loong residential area is blessed with striking natural scenery and a rich cultural legacy of the Dao ethnic community. Amid the pressures of urbanisation and deeper integration, local residents have remained committed to safeguarding traditional values, treating cultural heritage as a treasured asset that enriches spiritual life while laying the foundation for sustainable tourism growth.
  • 'Proactive measures in place to ensure successful spring crop

    Proactive measures in place to ensure successful spring crop

    BUSINESS -
    Identifying the spring crop as the most important production season of the year, the agricultural sector and localities across Son La province are stepping up preparations to secure seed structure, agricultural supplies and irrigation water, aiming to complete planting within the recommended timeline and achieve high yield and quality.