Producing pepper in the direction of organic is being applied by people in Cu Kuin district. The use of probiotics and microbiological fertilizers in the cultivation process not only helps farmers save costs but also maintain productivity, contributing to environmental protection.
After the ups and downs due to the erratic price fluctuations, Mr. Vu Dinh Khoi’s family (village 6, Ea Bhkk commune) still persisted in firmly thanks to the cultivation of pepper towards sustainable organic.
Mr. Khoi shared, when the price of pepper continuously established “peak”, his family and many other households massively expanded the area to plant new, abuse chemical fertilizers, pesticides, stimulants … to increase productivity. However, it is this abuse that has created a favorable environment for diseases and fungi to attack plants, especially those who die quickly and die slowly, causing serious economic damage.
To overcome this situation, Mr. Khoi explored, learned and decided to switch to organic farming. With the process of “washing” the garden at the beginning of the season, preventing diseases for plants, the use of probiotics during the production process, pepper garden with an area of 1.2 hectares of his family not only achieved higher productivity but also limited pests. In addition to the use of probiotics, his family also focused on fertilizer and cow fertilizer, helping to reduce pests and create conditions for pepper to develop more sustainably.
Similarly, microbiological fertilizer has gradually become the top choice, replacing plant protection drugs in the pepper garden of Mr. Vu Kim Thinh’s family (Kim Chau village, Dray Bhang commune). According to Mr. Thinh, pepper is a fastidious crop, unable to withstand flooding but need water. Therefore, his family only broadcast grass around the root in the rainy season to prevent nematodes, and in the sunny season, there is no grass to keep the soil moist.
Producing pepper in the direction of organic not only helps plants have good resistance, but also maintains stable yield through seasons. The harvested pepper is also superior, firm and heavier than traditional farming. In particular, this method of farming not only protects the health of farmers but also ensures that the product reaches consumers always safe. “With an area of 7 hectares, the average annual pepper of my family harvested about 40 tons of pepper. This is the result thanks to the application of planting and tending the pepper garden in the direction of organic,” Thinh said.
Taking care of pepper with microbiological fertilizers and probiotics helps the garden productivity of Mr. Nguyen Van Luong’s family (village 23, Ea Ning commune) always stable. In order to improve the experience and skills of sustainable pepper cultivation, in 2019, Mr. Luong participated in the sustainable landscape pepper program implemented in Cu Kuin district. Joining the model, he and the local people were instructed on how to plant trees to shade pepper, improve their organic farming knowledge and improve ecological conditions around the garden. In particular, the application of cultivation measures to adapt to climate change, water saving and reducing greenhouse gas emissions not only improves the environment but also raises income for pepper growers.
In addition to the knowledge and experiences accumulated from the training sessions, as well as the learning and exchange of experiences, Mr. Luong also actively learns and applies the process of microorganic composting from fish to fertilize pepper. The production of microorganisms does not only help reduce costs in the cultivation process but also provide natural nutrients for plants, help plants grow healthy and sustainable. Fish fertilizer contains high protein content, combined with probiotics, helping to increase the ability to absorb nutrients of plants. At the same time, improving the soil structure, making it porous and increasing moisture, creating favorable conditions for the development of the pepper garden.
Mr. Ngo Minh Dung, Chairman of Ea Ning Farmers Association, said that since the implementation of the landscape pepper model, people in the commune have noticed a clear difference in the cultivation process. The households participating in the model not only increase productivity and quality of pepper, but also minimize pests and environmental protection. As a result, people have reduced production costs, especially limiting the abuse of chemical fertilizers and plant protection drugs. The obvious benefits from the model have motivated many households to participate. Up to now, the whole commune has 328 households participating in the landscape pepper model, with a total area of nearly 361 hectares.
