VietNamNet Bridge - Floods season brings more alluvium and washes away alum and pesticide. During the season, fields have time to ‘relax’, while parasitic creatures are killed and farmers can save money for the next crop.


{keywords}



According to the Southern Hydrographic and Meteorological Center, the flood level on September 18 was 3.07 meters on Tien River (Tan Chau) and 2.74 meters on Hau River (Chau Doc), or 0.26-0.43 meters below the alarm No 1.

It is expected that the sea water level on the river sections in Mekong Delta will rise rapidly in the upcoming days. The highest flood peaks in Tan Chau and Chau Doc are likely to reach the alarm No 2 or alarm No 3, 4-4.5 meters, which will appear in the first half of October.

According to Tran Anh Thu, director of the An Giang agriculture department, 26 sub-regions in the province with the total area of 21,190 hectares will avoid damage by not having the third crop for the year. 

Floods season brings more alluvium and washes away alum and pesticide. During the season, fields have time to ‘relax’, while parasitic creatures are killed and farmers can save money for the next crop.

Meanwhile, farmers will open their rice fields to get alluvium. 

In Long An province, the total area of autumn-winter crop has been reduced to 30,000 hectares. The remaining area will be open to receive alluvium and water which help wash away toxins and improve the soil.

Vo Tong Xuan, president of Nam Can Tho University, an agriculture expert, affirmed that alluvium plays a very important role in rice cultivation in particular and agriculture production in general.

He said that the decision by local authorities to stop the production of third crops and open the fields to floods allows the soil to ‘take a rest’.

Tran Van Hoa in Phu Quy hamlet of Phu Loc commune, pointing to his field inundated in muddy water, said alluvium for farmers is the ‘gift from the God’ as it helps make fields more fertile.

Hoa said once alluvium comes to the fields, weeds will be killed, so he won’t have to buy herbicide for the next crop, which makes the field more infertile. 

According to Hoa, in the years with big floods, he saves VND300,000 for every 1,000 square meters because money is not needed for herbicide, fertilizer and plant protection chemicals. 

The people in Vinh Thanh district said after harvesting, they open the fields to flood water. 

“We will soak the fields in floods water for several months to get alluvium for the next crop,” said Le Thanh Sua from Vinh Binh commune.


RELATED NEWS

Mekong Delta during the flood season

Mekong floods likely to arrive early this year


Mai Chi