Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Sep;52(9):1462-1474.
doi: 10.1007/s13280-023-01864-x. Epub 2023 May 15.

An ecological economic comparison between integrated rice-fish farming and rice monocultures with low and high dikes in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Håkan Berg  1 , Thai Huynh Phuong Lan  2 , Nguyen Thanh Tam  3 , Duong Huyen Trang  2 , Pham Huynh Thanh Van  2 , Huynh Ngoc Duc  2 , Chau Thi Da  4
Affiliations

An ecological economic comparison between integrated rice-fish farming and rice monocultures with low and high dikes in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Håkan Berg et al. Ambio. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

This study makes an ecological economic comparison between three different rice farming strategies in the Mekong Delta. Interviews were made with 30 farmers with two crops of rice and low dikes (2RLd), 30 farmers with three crops of rice and high dikes (3RHd) and 18 farmers with two crops of rice and one crop of fish (2RF). 2RF farmers had the highest annual net income and benefit cost ratio, because of low production costs and high yields of rice and fish. 2RLd farmers had the lowest annual net income. 3RHd had the highest annual rice yield, but also used the highest amount of rice seeds and agrochemicals, generating the lowest benefit cost ratio. Most farmers (70%) preferred two crops because of a higher production efficiency. High dikes and frequent use of pesticides and fertilizers were seen to decrease the water and rice quality, connectivity and biodiversity in farms with three crops. It is concluded that rice farming with two crops, and especially if integrated with fish and applying IPM, provides a sustainable alternative to rice farming with three crops and high dikes, because it makes use of the high connectivity within the rice-field ecosystem for an efficient production of healthy food through increased recycling of nutrients and natural pest control mechanisms.

Keywords: Connectivity; Diversification; Food security; Integrated pest management; Pesticides; Sustainable agriculture.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The study was conducted in the Tam Nong, Thap Muoi and Hong Ngu districts in the Dong Thap province, which are located in the upper part of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alam MM, Tikadar KK, Hasan NA, Akter R, Bashar A, Ahammad AKS, Rahman MM, Alam MR, et al. Economic viability and seasonal impacts of integrated rice-prawn-vegetable farming on agricultural households in Southwest Bangladesh. Water. 2022;14:2756. doi: 10.3390/w14172756. - DOI
    1. Berg H. Pesticide use in rice and rice-fish farms in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Crop Protection. 2001;20:897–905. doi: 10.1016/S0261-2194(01)00039-4. - DOI
    1. Berg H. Rice monoculture and integrated rice-fish farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam—Economic and ecological considerations. Ecology Economics. 2002;41:95–107. doi: 10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00027-7. - DOI
    1. Berg H, Berg C, Nguyen TT. Integrate rice—Fish farming: Safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable food production in the Mekong Delta. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. 2012;36:859–872. doi: 10.1080/10440046.2012.712090. - DOI
    1. Berg H, Tam NT. Use of pesticides and attitude to pest management strategies among rice and rice-fish farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. International Journal of Pest Management. 2012;58:153–164. doi: 10.1080/09670874.2012.672776. - DOI