Melon on Na Boi land

After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry in 2022, young female agricultural engineer Truong Thi Hoa decided to return to her hometown Na Boi, Ma Lam town, Ham Thuan Bac district to start a business by growing melons in greenhouses.

Ms. Hoa shared that Na Boi has a large area of land, with a proactive and quality-assured irrigation water source; the weather is more sunny than rainy during the year, suitable for the growth of melons. Besides, the output of melons in the market is also favorable, growers make a profit; along with the technical knowledge and experience she has, she is confident in choosing the profession of growing melons in greenhouses in her hometown to start a business. After more than 1 year of producing melons in greenhouses, harvesting 4 crops, the yield is stable at 4 - 5 tons/sao, excluding costs, the profit is about 20 million VND/sao. With 4 sao of melons in greenhouses, Ms. Hoa's family has a total profit of 240 million VND/3 crops/year.

The melon variety that Ms. Hoa planted is Taiwanese melon; the growing period is 75 days; on average, on an area of 1 sao, Ms. Hoa planted about 3,350 melon plants; the survival rate for harvest is about 99%. Each melon plant is planted in a separate pot of substrate. The material for the substrate is white sand, mixed with rice husks. It is only used once, then replaced with a new substrate. The reason for applying the substrate, instead of planting melons directly in the ground, is to treat pathogens and impurities available in the soil; thereby facilitating the application of the fertilization process, intensive cultivation of melons through the drip irrigation system - Ms. Hoa shared more.

The advantage of growing melons in greenhouses is to minimize the penetration of insects and pests as well as overcome unfavorable weather factors. In addition, using a drip irrigation system, in addition to providing a guaranteed amount of water, not too much, not too little, helping plants grow well; it also has the function of combining precise nutritional supplements to each plant, each stage of plant growth; every day, growers can easily monitor soil moisture, growth and development of melon plants.

Mr. Pham Van Nhon - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Ma Lam town said that recently, the Farmers' Association of the town has coordinated with Ms. Hoa to organize for farmer members to visit and learn from experiences. Thereby, propagating and mobilizing members to expand and develop greenhouse melons in the town. At the same time, the Association will coordinate with functional agencies to organize technical training for farmer members to boldly apply in practice.

Growing melons in greenhouses is one of the models of agricultural development applying high technology. Ms. Hoa's production of 4 sao of melons in greenhouses brings stable economic efficiency, it not only brings a good income for her family, but also opens a new direction in agricultural production in Ma Lam town, Ham Thuan Bac district.

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