By integrating precision direct-seeding machinery with supportive national policy and cooperative training, IRRI and Vietnamese partners scaled a low-emission rice production package that dramatically reduced input costs, lowered emissions, and boosted farmer profits across Vietnam.
For generations, rice farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta relied on wasteful broadcast seeding, high chemical inputs, and manual labor. Today, climate change and rising production costs are driving a rapid shift toward sustainable agriculture. At the center of this transformation is an innovative technical package developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that combines Mechanized Direct Seeded Rice with Fertilizer Deep Placement (mDSR-FDP). By deploying advanced dynamic air-assisted seeders, this integrated system accurately places seeds just 1 to 2 millimeters below the soil surface while simultaneously depositing fertilizer 3 to 4 centimeters deep. This precision placement dramatically improves nutrient uptake, enhances root health, and reduces crop lodging, offering a high-productivity, low-emission solution for sustainable rice farming.
