Socio-economic impacts of mutant rice varieties in southern Vietnam

Rice plays an important role of socio-economic development in Vietnam, especially in Mekong River Delta (MRD) where is more than half of the total and 90% of national export rice. Rice variety improvement is main project in national breeding program. However, no mutant rice variety (MRV) was cultivated in MRD before 1995. Recently, 8 rice mutants occupy 10.3% of total modern varieties in Southern Vietnam. The mutated characters developed so far consist of better resistance to lodging, disease and insect damages, higher tolerance to soil stresses such as acid sulphate soil, drought etc, and also earliness and higher yield potential. Some best mutant varieties: VND95-19, VND95-20, VND99-3, TNDB-100 have been released for large-scale production in MRD. Among them, VND95-20 has become one of the top 5 varieties for export and grown annually more than 300,000ha in Southern Vietnam. In combination with hybridization method, some mutants gave promising recombinants. Selected varieties as VN121, VN24-4, OM2717, OM2718 have been released into production. Successful combination of aromatic character with short duration, high yield, tolerant to new diseases (GSV and RSV) and insects (BPH), consequently reduction of 2-3 spraying times of pesticide / crop, supported for health and environmental protection. For 8 past years under IAEA TC project, total cultivated area of MRV was more than 2.54 millions ha in Southern Vietnam. Until 2008, 8 mutant varieties produced the added return of 374 millions USD for past years and continue producing added return for farmers. Eight MRV of VND95-20, VND99-3, TNDB100, VND95-19, OM2717, OM 2718, VN 121 and VN24-4 occupied the added return values as 300.00; 9.0; 37.5; 6.0; 12.0; 8.4; 0.8 and 0.7 millions USD, respectively. Application of MRV is reduced 2-3 spraying times / crop due to their tolerance to diseases and insects. MRV are used in strategy program of 'Eradicate hunger and alleviate poverty' of different national projects, particularly for the ethnic minorities in mountainous and remote areas in Southern Vietnam. Due to significant contribution for socio-economic development, achievement of mutant rice varieties have been received many prizes of national and local Government. (author)