A New Soil Map Drives Sustainable Rice Production in Vietnam
02 December 2025, Vietnam: The new Soil Nutrient Map developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was center stage at an Expert Consultation Meeting, where over 50 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as well as related departments, discussed the crucial role of soil nutrient maps in supporting sustainable soil health management. The map was built on thousands of soil samples collected from key provinces like Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Can Tho, and Dong Thap.
This activity is part of the “Fertilize Right” (FerRight) Project, generously funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The project aims to apply information technology to soil nutrient management, increase fertilizer efficiency, reduce costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions in rice cultivation.
Dr. Robert Caudwell, Country Representative of IRRI to Vietnam, stressed the importance of the map as a powerful digital tool that can provide a wealth of information on soil properties and nutrient content. The information is built on a foundation of field surveys, laboratory analysis, and spatial modeling using GIS and machine learning technologies.
“We believe that the map will be a useful tool to help farmers, extension officers, and managers better understand soil health, thereby having appropriate land use measures and effective crop management,” said Dr. Caudwell.
The map’s greatest strength is its accessibility. Agricultural extension officers and farmers can simply enter coordinates or select a location on their phone or computer to immediately know the nutritional status of their specific fields.
The Soil Nutrient Map is not just a data repository. It is a platform for applying Rice Crop Manager (RCM). Dr. Tran Minh Tien, Director of the Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, noted that the maps are an “important database for developing recommendations for fertilizing specialized areas.” The map information is used by the RCM application to generate specific recommendations on the type of fertilizer, dosage, and appropriate timing for each individual field. This creates a complete support system for farmers.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Bo, an agricultural expert, highlighted the significance of this integration. “The combination of the Soil Nutrient Map and RCM application is an important step forward in the digital transformation of agriculture. Instead of fertilizing based on experience or general recommendations, farmers can now receive specific instructions based on the actual condition of their own fields.”
The FerRight project runs from 2024 to 2027 in five key provinces across the Red River and Mekong Deltas. According to Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, scientist at IRRI and project leader of FerRight in Vietnam, the goal is to apply this ready-to-use digital technology to 1 million hectares of high-quality rice production. Ultimately, the successful deployment in these five key provinces will serve as a scalable blueprint for expanding these precise nutrient management strategies to all major rice-producing regions of Vietnam, Dr. Hung added.
The experts and stakeholders expressed appreciation for the scientific nature and practical applicability of the map. Fertilizer companies demonstrated strong interest in linking their products to location-specific data, and the project provinces committed to coordinating closely on pilot applications.
Participants agreed on the necessity of training farmers and officials, perfecting the tool, and establishing a system for periodic data updates. The collective expectation is that by 2026, the combined system of the Soil Nutrient Map and RCM application will be widely deployed in project provinces, directly supporting thousands of farming households in achieving higher yields, lower costs, and truly sustainable rice cultivation.
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