Department of Science and Technology visited the Phalaenopsis orchid growing model of the Applied Research and Transfer Zone for Science and Technology Advances in Agriculture and Forestry in Moc Chau district.

Policy specification

Pursuant to Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW dated January 30, 2023 of the Politburo on the development and application of biotechnology (BTO) to serve the country's sustainable development in the new situation, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee issued Action Program No. 21-CTr/TU dated March 21, 2023 on the development and application of BTO in Son La province with specific goals, tasks and solutions.

In particular, focusing on promoting information, propaganda, dissemination, and introduction of biotechnology achievements, improving knowledge about biotechnology and biodiversity conservation; investing in facilities to meet the requirements of research, development, and application of biotechnology; conserving genetic resources and applying biotechnology; widely and effectively applying biotechnology activities in socio-economic fields; proactively training high-quality biotechnology human resources...

The Provincial People's Committee directs the Department of Science and Technology to preside over and coordinate with departments, branches, sectors and People's Committees of districts and cities to develop specific plans and organize the implementation of tasks of developing and applying biotechnology; promptly update achievements of applied and replicated biotechnology.

Mr. Luu Binh Khiem, Director of the Department of Science and Technology, said: Biotechnology is one of the four fields of science and technology that the province prioritizes for investment and development. In recent times, implementing Action Program No. 21-CTr/TU, the Department has coordinated with universities, research institutes and enterprises to carry out research tasks on biotechnology in various fields; effectively applying new generation biotechnology to production practices, improving the output and quality of valuable products.

Putting biotechnology into practice

Biotechnology is a high-tech field, based on the foundation of life science, combined with technical processes and equipment, to create technologies that exploit the life activities of microorganisms, plant and animal cells to produce on an industrial scale high-quality products, serving socio-economic development and environmental protection.

The development of biotechnology is applied by enterprises, cooperatives and farmers in many fields of production. Notably, in the agricultural sector, biotechnology plays an important role, creating new crops, livestock, microorganisms, and agricultural processing products with high productivity and quality. Through genetic technology, invitro technology, microbiological technology... in selection and breeding, it serves well the need to transform the structure of crops and livestock in the province.

Son La Cordyceps products apply biotechnology.

The research and application area, transferring scientific and technological advances in agriculture and forestry in Moc Chau district, under the Center for Supporting Innovative Startups (Department of Science and Technology) is a typical unit in scientific research, development and application of biotechnology advances to serve production, such as: Phalaenopsis orchids, seedless grapes, hybrid yellow melons, bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, lisianthus flowers.... In addition, the unit also researches biological preparations in pest control for crops, providing safe products to the market. The research area also implemented and completed the Project "Improving the process of propagating Kim Tuyen orchids by tissue culture method".

Ms. Tran Thi Van Anh, Director of the Center for Supporting Innovative Startups, shared: Kim Tuyen orchid is a medicinal herb with high economic value, with the effect of treating cancer, antibacterial... Due to its small quantity, it is exploited to the fullest extent, and is increasingly scarce. To carry out the project, the research team tested planting on substrate. Up to now, the propagation process by tissue culture method has been completed, successfully propagating over 10,000 Kim Tuyen orchid plants and bringing them to the nursery and they are growing well. The Center is transferring them to people and businesses to develop commercial Kim Tuyen orchid cultivation, contributing to preserving the breed and increasing income from this plant.

In aquaculture, the application of biotechnology to develop cage fish farming on hydroelectric reservoirs is widely deployed. Some units and enterprises in the province have successfully produced fish fry by the method of laying eggs with claws, incubating eggs in a cage, applying the crossbreeding method or using chemicals to create high-quality, monosex breeds... In the livestock sector, applying embryo transfer technology to purebred dairy cows in Moc Chau, artificial insemination for cows with semen of high-quality cows (Brahman); using active probiotics in composting and processing animal feed on a household scale...

In the medical field, a number of new products based on the application of biotechnology, such as: Production of nutritional products from yeast biomass, research and production of oriental medicines... are being implemented by many units. Research results contribute to improving the capacity to care for and protect public health.

Farmers in Mai Son district use biological products in animal feed.

In the environmental field, biotechnology is widely applied in livestock waste treatment through biogas technology, bedding, and biological products, to minimize the risk of environmental pollution.

Phuong Nam Cooperative, Long Phieng Commune, Yen Chau District, established in 2016, operates mainly in the livestock sector, regularly raising nearly 200 sows and about 1,500 pigs. Raising large numbers of pigs, producing a lot of waste, although a biogas tank has been built to treat waste, the amount of wastewater still overflows into the environment. In 2018, the Cooperative was selected by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to pilot the implementation of a wastewater treatment machine, separating solid waste after livestock farming.

Mr. Tran Nhu Kien, Director of the Cooperative, said: All livestock waste is put into the processing machine, on average the machine can squeeze about 70 tons of dry manure/year. This manure is put into the Cooperative for processing, composted with coffee grounds, cassava peels, mixed with microorganisms, used as organic fertilizer for fruit trees. The wastewater is put into the settling tank for treatment, then used to irrigate fruit trees. By utilizing waste and wastewater from livestock after treatment, 40% of fertilizer costs have been saved, helping to improve the soil, increase fertility, increase productivity of the Cooperative's fruit tree area, and solve the problem of environmental pollution in livestock farming.

Aim to become an agricultural product processing center

In addition to the achieved results, the development and application of biotechnology in the province still has limitations: Investment in research and application of biotechnology is still low, not commensurate with the potential and advantages of the province. Investment resources for research and development of biotechnology mainly come from the State budget; the mobilization of social resources for research, application and development of biotechnology has not met the requirements. Some application models are slow to be widely replicated in production; there is a shortage of biotechnology specialists...

The laboratory of Tay Bac University is invested in modernly.

The goal is to strive by 2030 for Son La to become one of the fairly developed provinces in the Northwest region, a center for processing agricultural products in the Northern Midlands and Mountains, developing high-tech applications, biotechnology, organic technology, and circulation.

To achieve this goal, to make CNSH truly develop, playing an important role in promoting sustainable development, it is necessary to have the coordination of all levels, sectors and enterprises in implementing programs and models, while expanding the scale of production in some advantageous fields such as agriculture, processing industry; investing in upgrading and strengthening the potential of the Center for Supporting Innovative Startups.

Along with that, focus on training high-quality human resources; form and support 2-3 enterprises operating in modern production, business and service of biotechnology; attract investment to develop 2-3 centers, organizations and enterprises, both public and non-public, with biotechnology potential to meet the requirements of research, reception and mastery of technology to organize the transfer and production of biotechnology products applied in various fields.

Pay attention to investing in building and effectively putting into operation biotechnology laboratories equipped with modern and synchronous machinery and equipment... creating a new step in applying biotechnology to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization.

Thanh Huyen