A local farmer tends her vegetable garden in the central province of Hà Tĩnh.— Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

HÀ TĨNH — Local farmers in the central province of Hà Tĩnh have begun using biological products to limit the use of pesticides in agricultural production, to produce safer products and protect the environment.

Phạm Thị Tâm, a local farmer in Thủy Hội Village, Thạch Hưng Commune, said the application of biological products to grow vegetables in more than 1,000 sq.m of field brings a higher yield and fewer pests and diseases.

“Particularly, it minimises the use of pesticides, contributing to the environment protection,” she said.

According to agricultural experts from the provincial Centre for Science and Technology Application, after applying the biological products, the useful micro-organisms in the composition have decomposed themselves, hindering the re-growth of pests and diseases as well as helping the plants to grow and develop well.

The use of biological products can help limit the use of pesticides and move towards a complete replacement of pesticides in the future, experts said.

The area of land treated with biological products becomes more porous, meaning plants grow well, have fewer pests and diseases, and achieve higher yields than before, the experts said.

Nguyễn Văn Đoàn, deputy chairman of the People's Committee of Thạch Văn Commune, Thạch Hà District said the commune has nearly 170ha growing vegetables and fruit to serve local demand.

Local authorities now pay more attention to the use of biological products in agricultural production to grow fruit and vegetables, he said.

An area to grow safe vegetables has been set up in Bắc Văn Village in the commune and was welcomed by local farmers, the Tài nguyên môi trường (Natural Resources and Environment) online newspaper reported.

Nguyễn Thị Hà, an engineer of the centre, said biological products to treat pesticide residue in the soil have helped to reduce toxic compounds, make the soil porous, add microorganisms to the soil and support the growth of the plants.

After a year of piloting the use of the biological products in Thạch Hưng Commune, the results have been positive, she said.

Specifically, they have not detected any residues of the active ingredients of Chlorpyrifos and Carbosulfan in the soil after using the biological product, named HTICIDE, to decompose pesticide residues in soil samples.

In the meantime, the soil samples that did not use the biological product still have residue of the active ingredients of Chlorpyrifos and Carbosulfan.

Many local farmers voluntarily participated in a training course to learn how to use the biological products to grow vegetables and fruit safely and protect the environment, she added.

The centre has piloted the use of other biological products to prevent a number of pests and diseases in vegetables and fruits, contributing to helping local farmers gradually switch from using chemical pesticides to biological products.

Data from the Cultivation and Plant Protection Division of the province shows that about 220 tonnes of pesticides and 120,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers are used in the province each year.

The overuse of pesticides in agricultural production has been causing serious environmental pollution and unpredictable long-term consequences, the division said.

Nguyễn Trí Hà, head of the division, said, “Pesticide residues in the soil from agricultural production are posing a risk to the environment and people’s health. These chemicals will not be lost in the short time, especially with highly hazardous pesticides.”

The division has implemented a range of measures to control the risk of pesticide contamination in agricultural production, he said.

They have made a list of highly hazardous pesticides banned from use in Việt Nam to raise awareness among local farmers, he said.

The division has also strengthened the use of biological products in agricultural production and constructed specialised areas for organic agricultural production, he added. — VNS