ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACTS of
INTENSIVE RICE
CULTIVATION
In Mekong River Delta

OUTLIN
E
1. Current situation
2. Why intensive rice
cultivation is a problem
3. What intensive rice
cultivation can result in

4. Solutions

1. Current
situation

What is
INTENSIVE RICE
CULTIVATION?

Area, Productivity and Yield of

Rice in Vietnam from 1995 to
2010
Year

Area
(mil.ha)

1995
2000
2005
2010

6.77
7.67
7.33
7.49

Producti
Yield
vity
(mil.tons
(tons/ha)
)
3.69
24.96
4.24
32.53
4.89
35.79
5.34
39.99

Areas, Productivity and Yield

distributed by Regions in
Vietnam (2009)
Region
TOTAL
Red River
Delta
Northern
mountain
Northern
central
Central
highland
East
Southern

Area
(mil ha)

Yield (mil
tons)

7.44

Productivi
ty
(tons/ha)
5.23

1.16

5.88

6.8

0.67

4.55

3.05

1.22

5.12

6.25

0.21

4.65

0.99

0.31

4.31

1.32

38.89

2. Why intensive
rice cultivation is
a problem

Mekong Delta: Dykes, Rice and

Flood

3. What intensive
rice cultivation
can result in

Ecological
system
Block natural flood pulse and deprive
stream
Chemicals
Restricted the transfer of organic material
between freshwater and saline aquatic
environments.

Decline in fish populations and loss of

biodiversity.
Die-offs of nypa palm, threatens large
swaths of coastal mangroves Vietnam
would be more vulnerable to intensifying
storms and rising sea levelslinked to

Coastal mangroves in Mekong

Delta

Nypa palms

Soil

Inadequate
drainage
Poorly designed
irrigation systems
Increased soil
salinity
Water saturation
Continuous
flooding

Prevent adequate
drainage
Waterlogging and soil
salinization
Reduces yields in the
short-term
Cause micro-nutrient
deficiencies and
increased soil toxicities
Increased soil toxicities
decline in the capacity
of soils

Water
Require much water and leach chemicals
Escape Nitrogen from rice system
Leach pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers

Deplete of water supplies

Lethal to fish in downstream ecosystems
Cause water pollution and negative
impacts on local peoples health and on
the quantity and diversity of insects and
wildlife near rice paddies

Natural fertilizers used in farming

Greenhouse
emission
Low-oxygen
conditions
Warm,
waterlogged
soils
Continuously
flooded
rice production is
a significant
emitter of
methane

Agricultural
greenhouse gas
emissions

Humans living
standards
Economy

4.
Solutions

SOIL

Treatment: leaching (flushing) of

the soil with pure water

Magnesium
deficiency in rice

Treatment:
Invest some
quality bone
meal and rock
phosphate into
the soil

Potassium
deficiency
in rice

Treatment:
the addition
of manure
and organic
compost
mixes.

GM rice
plants:
Bt rice: has a Cry
toxin used in
fight against
pests
GM rice cultivar
(LL62) acts as an
herbicide

Adapt theSystem of Rice Intensification,

known as SRI, an agro-ecological methodology

System of Rice Intensification

(SRI)

Summary
&
Conclusio

The Mekong River Delta is Vietnams most

important rice growing region. However, its
intensive rice systems have long-term
impacts on the natural resource base

Due to overexploitation and improper

management, intensive rice cultivation has
become a big concern. However, the
situation can be improved by

leaching the soil

applying GMO

adding more nutrient

practicing SRI

With enough finance and

modern technologies, it is
produce rice intensively and
bad effects on environment
time.

the help of
possible to
minimize the
at the same

REFERENCES

http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2012/12/Vietnam/
http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/.../sustainability-of...
http://ricepedia.org/vietnam
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/in_mekong_delta_rice_boom_has_steep_envir
onmental_cost/2670/
http://pdf.wri.org/mekong_governence_mreg_minh.pdf
Environmental Change and Agricultural Sustainability in the Mekong Delta
(Mart A. SStewart, Peter A. Coclanis)
http://www.extension.org/pages/63502/solutions-to-soil-problems:-highsalinity#.VZ_6WaX-LqA
http://compostbin.org/nutrient-deficiencies-in-soil-symptoms-and-how-totreat-them-with-compost/
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/ericeproduction/IV.1_Essential_nutrient
s.html (figure of rice essential elements)
http://www.gmocompass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/crops/24.genetically_
modified_rice.html (GM rice plant)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210784314000400
Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia 2 ( 2014 ) 272 279 :
"Comparison of Methane Emission from Conventional and Modified Paddy
Cultivation in Malaysia"

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