TVU – A three-day seminar focusing on developing suitable crops for the Mekong Delta under climate change conditions is being held at Tra Vinh University from June 24 to 26, 2024. The event brings together experts from Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands and representatives from Dutch enterprise companies.
The seminar aims to research effective crop variety conversion for the Mekong Delta and develop industry value chains for these new varieties. Attendees include Dr. Tran Thi Ngoc Bich, Deputy Director of Tra Vinh University’s Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, along with representatives from local government departments and organizations.
Dr. Robert van Loo, Head of WUR’s Research Group on plant stress tolerant breeding, and Dr. Daniel Danial, Head of the Capacity Building Team on plant breeding and biotechnology, lead the Dutch delegation. Representatives from companies such as East West Seed Vietnam, Radicle Crops, and Fresh Studio Vietnam are also participating.
Experts are presenting ongoing projects and research, discussing potential crops for Tra Vinh province and the Mekong Delta, and exploring challenges and opportunities in introducing new Dutch plant varieties to the Vietnamese market.
Dr. Bich highlights Tra Vinh University’s recent international collaborations on sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation, including the Mekong SaltLab project and Saltwater Center, which focus on developing circular and green agricultural models adapted to drought and salinity.
The seminar includes field surveys of short-term crop areas in coastal Tra Vinh province, which face high risks of saltwater intrusion and freshwater scarcity during dry seasons. These visits aim to identify potential crops and challenges for introducing new Dutch varieties to the local market.
Participants plan to develop strategies for implementing breeding techniques and testing new plant varieties adapted to local conditions, while also researching potential crop value chain development.
By My Nhien
TD-ĐL
