Forage Project

Trang Viet, Viet Nam

Introduction

The Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, in 1996, granted funds for a limited survey of Beef Cattle Production in the area around Ha Noi, Viet Nam. David Pease, a beef cattle farmer from Southern Ontario, was selected to pilot this project in September of 1996.

During the data collection phase of Pease's project in Viet Nam, one area of potential caught his attention - the extensive Red River dike that ran through the Trang Viet commune just north and west of the city of Ha Noi. This dike also extended for many miles along this major water course. These dike lands in the Trang Viet commune, and one assumes along the extent of the dike system, were under severe grazing pressure as indicated by these photos. Available land for the grazing for the commune's more than 700 cattle was a scarce commodity. Unfortunately, these dike lands were not being utilized at their full potential. There was little doubt that dramatic increases in productivity could be achieved within this community by the addition of better grass management practices. While in Viet Nam, Pease roughed out a design for a forage demonstration project for the dike lands within the Trang Viet commune. Unfortunately, Pease was not able to obtain funding for this project on his return to Canada but decided to proceed with a much reduced program using his own resources and the willing services of the National Institute for Animal Husbandry, the Animal Husbandry Association of Viet Nam and the Vietnam Agriculture Science Institute. The following outlines the orginal objectives of the project and concludes with the first results of this study. The readers will note the effect of the reduction in available funds to the orignal project's objectives.

Original Objectives

Forage Data Analysis and Methodology

Demonstrate the potential of forage production.

Establish and demonstrate specific forage variety production yields.

Demonstrate best management practices for maximizing forage production.

Establish and demonstrate which forage variety combinations can maximize ruminant live weight gains throughout the seasons.

Design
A number of forage plots will be planted on each side of the dike. The species or species combination of each plot should be repeated on the opposing side of the bank for comparison under flooding conditions. One plot in each area should be retained in its natural state as a control and not have fertilizer or weed control applied.

Click here for a scematic of the original demonstation plot design

Soil sampling should be done at the onset of the program with tests repeated on an annual basis.
Signs should be erected on each plot to indicate the species planted and the date sown. In addition, a written record should be made containing all data for each plot as well as the quantity and analysis of the fertilizer applied at planting or in subsequent applications. This written report will be the responsibility of the NIAH forage specialist.
To obtain a value for forage production, a suitable program for measuring and analysing the feed value for each plot should be designed by the forage specialist. It will be important to not only determine the protein content of the forages but also their mineral content in order that a test group of cattle can be fed a balanced mineral ration.
The plot areas will also include a number of legume and or legume tree species. These should be planted in rows, perhaps dividing the plots, on a line running down the bank so as to assess their suitability under the differing environmental conditions. Again, a method of obtaining relative production values of each species will have to be devised by NIAH staff.

Implementation

Forage Plot Establishment
NIAH crop specialists will supervise the planting of the forage plots and the construction of the barrier fencing. While there is local resistance to the use of high tensile electric fencing and no funds have been budgeted for its construction, there are great advantages to this system. If sufficient funds could be made available ($1,000US) or perhaps materials donated by a manufacturer, this site may serve to show the many advantages to using high power electric fencing for animal control - especially if it were to be applied to strip grazing programs at some future date.
NIAH specialists will carry out the soil analysis and select the appropriate fertilizer for optimum plant establishment and growth. All forage plots should be seeded at the same time. Forage species selection for the test plots should be made after consultation between NIAH crop and livestock specialists.
A weigh scale will be purchased to measure the forage production from the plots.
A photographic record should be kept from this initial stage and throughout the duration of the project.

Forage Production
The forage plots will demonstrate the production potential of the dike lands. The measurement of this production can be accomplished using two methods:

(1) Cut and Carry: Forage can be made available at no charge to the members of the commune using a "cut and carry" method. Having this forage freely available will ensure accurate weights! This forage would be harvested by individuals under the direction of the Project Manager. The Project Manager would record the plot number, species harvested, date of harvest and weight harvested in every instance. This information can then be used to assess the plot production for each species. NIAH crop specialists will direct the Project Manager as to the timing of harvest for each plot so as to best utilize the crop's potential. Small forage samples will be taken during each plot's harvest period for nutritional analysis by NIAH crop specialists.

(2) Livestock Consumption: The addition of a livestock component to this project will add significantly to its value. Unlike North America where forage crops are commonly sold in the form of hay, it may be very difficult to arrive at a market value for the forage produced on these Vietnamese plots. Having cattle consume this forage and turn it into kilograms of beef will allow a monetary figure to be placed on the total site production (VDN/ha). This will not detract from the individual plot production studies that can still be assessed using the cut and weigh method combined with the forage analysis as employed in the above example. Livestock will not be allowed access to the plots. The livestock will also be used to show how these various forages can be utilized in combination for optimum beef production. NIAH livestock specialists, in conjunction with NIAH crop specialists, will decide which plant species should be grown on these plots in order to provide adequate nutrition to the growing livestock throughout the various seasons. It may be necessary to store some forage during times of high production in order that adequate feed resources are available for the livestock during low production periods. Again, a very important demonstration for future co-operative feeding efforts.

While the forage plots can be a stand alone project, it is hoped that the livestock component can be added. The addition of the livestock will demonstrate how best to use this forage production for optimum beef production. Forage production is always looked on as a secondary crop, having minor economic importance. This project may be able to show that forages can produce monetary returns equal to that of many other crops grown in Vietnam.

Forage Project - 1st Report

THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FOR THE PLANTING OF PRODUCTION GRASSES ON THE DIKE AS A MEANS OF INCREASING AVAILABLE LIVESTOCK FEED AND AS A MEANS OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE DIKE PROTECTION.

(July 6, 1999)

Nguyen van Thien, Vu Ngoc Ty (Animal Husbandry Association of Viet Nam)

Tran Thanh Thuy (Viet Nam Agriculture Science Institute)

Le Hoa Binh, Phan thi Phan (National Institute of Animal Husbandry)

I. Introduction

The road to Trang Viet with Red River flood waters receeding to the left of the photo.

An example of erosion to the dyke due to overgrazing 1996.

The 1995 census registered 7,700 kilometers of earth formed dike in the country of Vietnam. Each year these dike lands are replanted with grasses to control erosion. Unfortunately, many of these grass species used are natural grasses and therefore not too productive.
If these natural grasses are replaced by more productive grasses; on the one hand we can produce abundance of forage, on the other hand we are also able to continue to provide protection to the dike.
During 1998 and 1999, under the assistance of David Pease, a Canadian farmer, we have commenced the following experiment: To plant the productive grasses on the dike to increase the livestock feedstuff and to contribute to dike protection.

II. Materials and Methods

(A) Location - On the Red River dike of Trang Viet commune, Me Linh district, Vinh Phuc province (at km 44+500)

(B) Experiment time period - From March 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999

(C) Experimental Methods

Stage One

(i)Species

To plant on small squares from March 1, 1998 to August 31, 1998 the following grass varieties:
Andropogon gayanus (#1)
Panacum maximum TD-58 [PM-TD58] (#2)
Brachaiaria decumbens (#3)
Brachiaria brizantha (#4)
Brachiaria ruzizinensis (#5)
Digitaria decumbens commun (#6)

(ii) Plot design
The total project area was 54 squared meters in size divided into 18 squares each measuring 3 meters squared. To accurately assess the potential of each species, three of these small squares were alocated for each species using the following planting scheme:

#5	#3	#1
#6	#4	#2
#1	#5	#3
#2	#6	#4
#3	#1	#5
#4	#2	#6

(iii) Planting technique:
-Date of planting was March 3, 1998
-The following were planted as seeds: Androppgon; PM-TD 58; B. decumbens; B. Briantha; B. ruzizinensis.
-The following utilized stem planting: D. decumbens commun.
-The grasses were planted on furrows of width 50cm.
-Fertilizer before planting: 40kg P205/ha (200 kg super P/ha) and 40 kg K2SO4 (100 kg Sulfate K/ha) after harvest 25 Urea kg/ha.

Stage Two

(i)Species

Large lots were planted from September 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999 with the following species:
-Brachiaria decumbens (#7)
-Digitaria decumbens commun (#8)
- Brachiaria decumbens + Digitaria decumbens commun (#9)

(ii) Plot design
The 2 grass varieties were planted on an area totalling 450 meters squared divided into three 150 square metered plots as follows:

(iii)Planting technique:
-Date of planting was September 22, 1998
-B. decumbens was planted by seed and D. decumbens commun was stem planted.
-The greasses were planted in furrows of width 40cm.
-Fertilizer before planting was micro-bacteria fertilizer at a rate of 400kg/ha.

III Results and Discussions

Stage one
The sprout, growth and harvesting capacities of the 6 grass varieties are presented in the following table:

#1 Andropogon Gayanus	#2 PM-TD 58
#3 B. Decumbens	#4 B. Brizantha
#5 B. Ruzizinensis	#6 D. decumbens commun

Plot #	Grass Variety	Days to sprout emergence	Grass height at 1 month (cm)	Weight of grass harvested per square (kg)	Projected annual yield of grass per ha.
1	Andropogon	20	37	2.00	79.7
2	PM-TD 58	13	30	4.05	162.2
3	B. decumbens	13	10	3.63	145.4
4	B. brizantha	8	10	3.78	151.5
5	B. ruzizinensis	8	15	3.38	135.3
6	D. decumbens commun	10	45	3.2	72.0

Among the 5 grass varieties that were planted by seed, the sprouting time of B. brizantha and B. ruzizinensis were the shortest (8 days), then PM-TD 58 and B. decumbens (13 days). The latest one was Andropogon at 20 days. The sprouting time for the stem planting grass variety D. decumbens commun was 10 days.

Among the seed planted varieties, the vertical growth rate of PM-TD 58 was the greatest at 30 cm at one month followed by Adropogon (27cm), B. ruzizinensis (15cm) with the slowest being B. decumbens and B. brizantha at 10cm. The growth rate of the stem planted D. decumbens commun was by far the greatest of the entire plot at 45 cm.

It is important to note that the vertical growth rate of these varieties did not necesarily predict the productivity of these species for while the D.decumbens commun was the tallest at one month it yielded the lowest of the six species tested at only 72.0 tonnes of grass per hectare. The harvesting capacity of the PM-TD 58 was the highest at 162.2T/Ha followed by the B. brizntha, then the B. Decumbens and the B. ruzizinensis.

In summary, all of the 6 species of grasses are suitable for planting and growth on the Red River dike. Their productivity is quite high with four species producing over 135T/ha during the year.{ It would have been interesting to compare these production rates with that of the traditional species of grasses that are now grown on the remainder of the dike lands.}

Stage Two
The two grass varieties had each sprouted 30 days after planting and, after 60 days, all three plots were fully covered by these grasses.

It appears that these grass species have had no adverse affect on the structure of the dike.

This experiment will be continued beyond April, 1999 by harvesting these grasses from the three plots to provide feed for one cattle animal. During this feeding period the dike will be constantly monitored to assess the influence of these grass plots on the dike.

Conclusion
1. We can plant the above grass varieties on the dike as a means of increasing the production of livestock feed.

2. The planting of these grass species on the dike has no adverse affect on the dike. Moreover, these species actually guard against possible erosion to the dike.