The one who "sows gold" in the fields of his homeland

Người 'gieo vàng — Engineer Bach Thi Vung has gone through many journeys of research and selection of rice varieties - Photo: Character provided

Green dreams in the Northern fields

Born in 1965 in Tay Ninh, engineer Bach Thi Vung is a living proof of the image of Vietnamese women who are talented, persistent and responsible. From the first days of working at the Long An Plant Protection Department (1988 - 1999), she did not mind the sun, wind and mud to accompany farmers, guiding them to produce according to scientific processes, save costs and reduce pests. Those ten years have become valuable luggage to help her understand better than anyone the hardships, aspirations and beliefs of Vietnamese farmers.

But Bach Thi Vung did not stop at the role of a technical officer. She always had a burning dream of creating a truly practical product for farmers, a good rice variety that not only gave high yields but also helped them reduce their worries about pests and crop failures. And in 1999, she turned to a new path - joining the Southern Seed Company (SSC), a member of Vinaseed Group, officially embarking on the journey of researching and creating rice varieties.

Engineer Bach Thi Vung’s first success was the hybrid rice variety Bac Uu 903, which was resistant to bacterial leaf blight, a disease that once caused thousands of hectares of rice to turn yellow; just by striking a match, the entire field could burst into flames. For her, it was an unforgettable memory – withered fields, farmers’ faces filled with fear of crop failure.

Not willing to see her "brainchild" Bac Uu 903 degenerate, she and her colleagues persevered for many years in crossbreeding and breeding rice lines with strong disease resistance. By the 2007 crop, the results had come: Bac Uu 903 KBL was born, with the ability to resist many common bacterial leaf blight strains in the North, helping to save billions of dong in pesticide costs each year.

She was so moved that she wrote a poem in the middle of the Ha Nam fields when she saw her "child" still green amidst the sea of burnt rice leaves:

"Standing in the middle of the green fields, I gazed longingly

I thought this was a dream...

Here is the truth – the dream, the hope"

And that hope has become a reality. In 2013, engineer Bach Thi Vung was awarded the Ton Duc Thang Award, recognizing her great contribution to the country's agricultural sector.

If Bac Uu 903 is a testament to intelligence and courage, then Dai Thom 8 is a testament to the vision and heart of a scientist.

Since 2009, Ms. Vung and her colleagues have begun to carry out complex crossbreeding between BVN and OM4900, selecting through 8 generations, and then in 2013, the Dai Thom 8 rice variety was officially recognized. This rice variety has a short growing period, high yield (7-9 tons/ha), fragrant sticky rice, long white grains, and is especially tolerant to salinity up to 6 parts per thousand - a big step forward to help farmers in the Mekong Delta cope with climate change.

Today, traveling throughout the West – from Can Tho to Ca Mau, An Giang – one can easily see images of rice seed bags printed with the words "Dai Thom 8" on boats and canoes. This rice variety accounts for 35% of the region's cultivated area and is so popular with traders that Ms. Vung humorously calls it "a rice variety that is not resistant to traders".

For farmers, it is the "seed of faith". For scientists, it is the "golden season of happiness".

At the age of 60, when many people have retired, engineer Bach Thi Vung is still engrossed in the experimental rice fields, still meticulously recording every index and every sign of pests and diseases. Under her leadership, the Research and Development Center (VRDC) - Vinaseed has launched a series of rice varieties with high economic and biological value such as HR182, Nam Uu 209, KC06-1, Huong Chau 6, and recently, purple rice Co Son 99 - a nutritious rice line rich in antioxidants, aimed at the health of consumers.

Each new rice variety is a long journey of perseverance, the result of hundreds of days of testing in the sun, in the wind, and even sleepless nights with colleagues. "Agricultural scientists must have both knowledge and heart. Because each grain of rice sown in the field is not only the result of research but also the trust of millions of farmers," Ms. Vung shared.

Not only contributing to science, engineer Bach Thi Vung is also a model of a modern woman - good at her profession, dedicated to her work and kind-hearted. She always has deep gratitude for the farmers - who accompanied her throughout the testing, evaluation and selection process. "Without them, we would not know where the new varieties are strong and weak to continue to improve," she said.

In 2025, engineer Bach Thi Vung was honored to be voted "Scientist of Farmers" by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union - a worthy title for her more than three decades of dedication.

She humbly said: "This title is not only for me, but for all my colleagues, for the farmers who have gone through many seasons with me."

In her, people see the convergence of the most beautiful qualities of Vietnamese women - resilient, creative, devoted and full of love. From a young engineer in the fields of Long An to a woman respected by the entire agricultural industry, the journey of engineer Bach Thi Vung is an epic of intelligence, passion and belief in the value of Vietnamese rice.

Do Huong

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/nguoi-soeo-vang-tren-nhung-canh-dong-que-huong-102251017094224265.htm