Mr. Nguyen An Son (in Ea Kpam commune, Cu M'gar district, Dak Lak province) owns 7 hectares of coffee and has been attached to this crop for many years. He clearly sees the impact of climate change, especially forest loss and degraded groundwater pipes.
In the face of erratic sun and rain, Mr. Son decided to innovate the farming method when replanting his coffee garden. He chose a variety that can withstand drought well and installed a drip irrigation system to save water and reduce labor.
"Compared to root watering that costs 300 - 400 liters of water/plant/watering time, the drop system helps reduce to 200 - 250 liters/plant/watering time", Mr. Son shared.
In addition to saving water, this system also makes fertilizing more convenient and efficient thanks to the automatic mechanism.
Fertilizer is dissolved in water and then transported directly to the plant, helping to provide regular nutrition. Thanks to that, the amount of fertilizer is reduced while the coffee beans are still plump and rich in nutrients.
Mr. Phan Van Nam (in Ea Tu commune, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province) has applied the intercropping model to adapt to climate change.
His family has more than 1.5 hectares of coffee, previously growing only one type of tree. However, every sunny season, the coffee garden quickly withers, especially at noon.
"I returned after watering and saw that the water had all receded, and the wells were gradually depleted. Pumping for 1.5 - 2 hours is the end of the water, we have to wait for the water to continue to water, it is very difficult, Mr. Nam shared.
In that situation, he decided to grow avocado and areca in the garden. These types of trees not only create shade but also bring additional income. In addition, cross-sectional plants also help keep soil moist and reduce soil erosion.
However, Mr. Nam noted that intercropping must comply with the correct ratio to avoid affecting the photosynthesis and development of coffee trees.
According to Mr. Do Van Chung - an officer of the Central Highlands Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences and Technology, climate change is increasingly strongly affecting agriculture.
In particular, coffee - the main crop of the Central Highlands - needs modern farming solutions to adapt to harsh weather conditions.
Mr. Chung emphasized that sustainable farming needs to aim at three major benefits such as, economic efficiency (optimizing fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water while still ensuring productivity), plant health and environmental protection.
