Appropriate use of local resources in integrated farming as a strategy for sustainable agriculture in central Vietnam
| dc.contributor.author | Rodriguez, Lylian J. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-11T11:04:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-06-11T11:04:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1996 | |
| dc.description | Dissertation | |
| dc.description.abstract | The research was conducted from February 1995 to February 1996 in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam . Located in the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnani has an area of 329,560 km2 and its population is over 70 million people. The overall objective was to devise ways of making better use of the local resources, especially the livestock, in order to improve the well being of the people. The first study was carried out in two villages in a rain-led hilly region in Central Vietnam (Paper I). The original idea of evaluating an intervention based on restricted milking of the local cattle was abandoned in the light of the insistence of the farmers that the expected benefits vvere too long term and they had other more immediate pnonties. In contrast, discussions about the potential benefits from introducing low-cost biodigestcr technology were enthusiastically received, especially by the women. The traditional diet fbr pigs in the region is lacking in protein. Conventional protein suppknK ui.5 are expensive and their availability is low. Biodigesters produce nitrogen-nch effluent and arc a logical source of the required nutrients fbr growing aquatic plants such as duck weed as a local source of protein. Thus there was a potential connection between the biodigcsters (being installed primarily as a source of fuel) and the need to improve the diet of the pigs. It became apparent during the development of the "duck weed" project that tiiere were many factors which influenced duck weed production, some controllable and others determined by climatic conditions (flooding!). Management was found to be the most important factor —eg. the levels of eflfluent to be used, water exchange and the need to renovate the seed. Very little was known in the use of the biodigester effluent to produce duck weed in such conditions, so this aspect was a logical subject fbr ,,on-stationH research (Paper II) In Paper II the hypotheses to be evaluated were that: effluent from biodigesters would be an effective source of nutrients with which to grow duck weed of high protein content; and the protein level in the duck weed would be a function of the amount of effluent added to the pond water. Six ponds were used, each lined with polyethylene film (0.2mm thickness) having 9.4 m2 area and 15 cm water depth. The two treatments were 32 and 4.5 kg eSluent/m3 pond water which were estimated to support N concentrations in pond water of 73 and 10.3mg N/litre respectively. The effluent was from plastic tube continuous flow biodigesters, charged with pig manure, and contained 6.5% of solids and 3.41% of N in the solids. 200 g of duck weed/m2 were added to each pond and the total biomass was harvested at 3 day intervals over a period of 9 days. Biomass yield and protein (N*6.25) in the duck weed dry matter were linearly related with the N concentration in the pond water and negatively related with root length of the duck weed. Optimum levels ofN in pond water were in the range 40-60mg N/litre. Duck weed of more than35% protein had a root length less than 10mm. Duck weed biomass yield at optimum pond N levels was of the order of 100 g fresh biomass/m2/day with 6% dry matter and 30-40% protein (N*6.25) in the dry matter. As a result of the project activities in the village and based on fanners expectations, research to document the local breeds became a pnonty. A survey was done to get some baseline data. These observations at village level about the efficiency of the Mong Cai breed in the use of local resources were the basis to carry out an ,;on-station experiment" to explore the digestion parameters and N metabolism of Mong Cai and exotic breeds and their crosses (Paper III). The hypotheses to be evaluated in paper III were: (i) Mong Cai pigs would eat greater amounts of duck weed (Lenina minor) and use it more efficiently than exotic pigs such as those of the Large White breed, and (ii) duck weed grown in ponds fertilized with biodigester effluent would be a satisfactory source of supplementary protein in a low protein basal diet of sugar cane juice. Four Mong Cai male piglets (5-10 kg) were obtained from the local market; four Large White male piglets (12-17 kg) from a nearby State farm and four Mong Cai*Large White piglets (2 male and 2 female) (9-14 kg) from a litter (Mong Cai mother; LW sire) bom at the farm. They were housed in metabolism cages made from bamboo and wood (floor area 70*70 cm) with freedom to move around Relationships between tlic percentage of diet dry matter consumed as duck weed (X) and apparent cbgestibilin/ (DM and N) and N metabolism (retention as % of intake and digested N) v-ere denied lor the combined data for the 2 breed groups (8 pigs) and expressed as linear the regression coefficients of which were all significantly different from zero. Thee: were no significant diflcrenccs between Mong Cai and Mong Cai*Large White crosses for - of parameters and the results indicated that the nutritive value of duck weed is high /h to indigenous pigs and their crosses as a supplement in a basal diet of sugar cane juice. Fifty percent of the pigs were able to consume fresh duck weed in proportions sufficient to provide a diet with more than 10% of protein in the dry matter. Purebred exotic pigs (Large White) appeared to be less adapted to consume the duck weed. Key words: Sustainability^; Vietnam; Women; On farm research; Extension; Mi/k production; Low cost plastic biodigester; Effluent; Duck weed; Lemna; Integration; Ponds; Nitrogen; Protein; Pigs; Indigenous breeds; Animal welfare; Mong Cai: Energy; Sugar cane juice; Digestibility; N balance; Biodiversity. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7663 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences | |
| dc.subject | Local knowledge | |
| dc.subject | Animal welfare | |
| dc.subject | Duck weed production | |
| dc.subject | Integration | |
| dc.subject | Indigenous breeds | |
| dc.title | Appropriate use of local resources in integrated farming as a strategy for sustainable agriculture in central Vietnam | |
| dc.type | Thesis |