Farmer’s management of crop
diversity in coastal agrosystems
of Hue region, Vietnam
Research contributors: T.V.Tuyen,
J.L.Pham, M.Bellon, T.V.Minh,
L.D.Huong, N.T.Cach, D.T.Son
Sponsors: SDC, IRRI, IDRC, IPGRI, &
Hue Univ. of Agri & Forestry.
Study sites in the
coastal ecosystem
in Huê region
coastal isolated
Tam Giang lagoon
Huê
coastal integrated
Residence, garden and rice fields are
integrated
A rice farmer household
A rice farmer woman in her garden taking
care of her sesame
No. of Winter-Spring rice cultivars:
Accumulation level & Change over time
- Coastal Landscape
- Sub-agrosystems
- Village (Ave. of 3)
- Household
- Plot level
31(1996) – 25 (2001)
(Isolated)
(Integrated)
15 - 13
23 - 29
9-7
10 - 8
3.0 – 2.2 2.6 – 2.1
≈1
≈1
N
h
T. Vars
h
D
a
g
m
n
u
a
h
M
h
m
d
d
7
a
a
n
u
m
m
9
la
u
4
Q
T
o
8
2
u
la
o
m
m
c
3
K
Q
e
IR
9
X
g
T
n
C
u
a
o
d
o
N
e
N
p
e
s
p
N
N
g
e
n
h
u
e
u
o
m
o
B
8
c
4
3
g
y
g
1
n
a
n
6
a
c
a
g
H
C
a
H
N
IR
n
6
8
G
u
L
tr
T
N
p
M
v
e
ke
lu
6
3
B
o
p
o
a
e
a
c
N
IR
C
T. Vars
K
C
g
Q
N
th
m
s
2
1 0
m
ie
m
N
g
x
1 0
a
h
u
C
m
p
n
e
m
8
o
3
s
IR
m
a
N
u
u
h
Q
C
1 5
T
C
C
o
5 0
s
y
m
a
6 0
u
u
c
n
7 0
a
h
o
c
a
ra
-1
8 0
H
o
c
p
9
W/S V ar dis tr ib ution in 1996 (% obs )
3 0
e
p
e
7
3 5
H
e
N
U
W/S var . dis tr ib u tio n (% ob s )
4 0
Distribution of Winter-S. rice cultivars
in 1996 (% hhs)
2 5
2 0
68% varieties
5
0
9 0
Distribution of Winter-S. rice cultivars
in 2000 (% hhs)
4 0
3 0
2 0
83% varieties
0
Factor explaining changes in
rice diversity:
(1) The catastrophic flood
in 1999
Usual rainfall distribution &
special in 1999 in Hue region
3000
Monthly Rainfall (mm)
2500
2000
Average
1500
In 1999
1000
500
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Impact of catastrophic flood (Nov. 99)
on farmers’ seeds & varieties
100
100
100
90
80
70
6 8 .3
60
S eed s lo s t
50
V ariety lo s t
40
30
A d o p ted new -M V
3 3 .3
2 4 .4
2 3 .1
Is o lated (N = 41)
Integrated (N = 39)
20
10
0
The catastrophic flood (Nov. 99) reduced
rice area (TVs) at household level
because of moving sands
4500
4000
3500
3000
M V a r e a in W S
2500
T V a r e a in W S
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1 9 9 6 - I s o la te d
2 0 0 1 - I s o la te d
1 9 9 6 - I n te g r a te d 2 0 0 1 - in te g r a te d
Factor explaining changes in
rice & crop diversity:
- (2) The farm diversification
The diversification: Directions of
main flows among farm sub-systems
Farmer’s interest and external factors
Others
TV
rice
MV rice
Other crops
Animal
Change in importance of income
sources & crop diversity
Rice
Animal husbandary
Other crops
Trees
Others
# Trational rice
varieties
# Taro landraces
Integrated Isolated
=
=
+
=
+
=
=
-++
=
The diversification favors loosing
rice traditional varieties, but helps
maintain inter-crop diversity
Ex. - No relation b/w No. of rice
cultivars & No. of crops per HH
- Pig husbandry at HHs helps
conserve taro landraces as feed
No of rice cultivars, taro landraces
& crops at HH level
in an integrated village
8 .0
7 .5
7 .3
7 .0
6 .0
5 .2
5 .0
# c ro p s /h h
4 .0
# ta ro v a rs /h h
3 .0
2 .0
1 .4
1 .7
1 .5
1 .0
0 .0
1 r ic e v a r / h h
2 r ic e v a r s / h h
3 r ic e v a r s / h h
Taro landraces & their distribution in
an integrated village (% hhs)
40
3 9 .4
35
3 0 .3
30
3 0 .3
25
20
15
10
6 .1
5
3
3
3
3
3
0
män
Män
ao
ch áú
m
män
män
Män
män
män
män
Män
n æå cï
saïp
n g o tü
â oí
saïp
têm
Implication:
Targeted ecosites & populations for
on-farm conservation
• Abundant landraces (e.g. rice TVs &
Taro) are season, agroecology and
community specific
• Rare populations, long-term adaptation
& evolution cultivars are HHs specific
but across sites/communities
Implication: Targeted working
levels for on-farm conservation
• Cultivars & their abundance at HH are
subjects of farmers, but support systems,
e.g. seeds, play influential roles
• Cultivar variation among HHs is
fundamental for diversity at larger scale of
agrosystem. This is subject of community
arrangement.
Response: Examples, Participatory
Research on building awareness
of diversity & agro-supports for:
- Sustaining rice diversity over
catastrophic events, such as flood
- Increase assess to genetic resource (e.g.
preferred varieties)
48.8% hhs at isolated villages & 20.5%
at the integrated wanted to
re-use some of the lost varieties
• Improve seed infrastructure at HH &
community level,
• Include traditional varieties into the formal
seed & agro-support systems, for example:
– build awareness of diversity & farmer’s preference;
– Conduct analyses of local policy on agro-supports
A community
Loudspeaker
at the village
headman’s
house
Rice farmer participants in a community
crop diversity contest
Rice seed & crop samples displayed at the
community crop diversity contest
Thank you