1

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development
Project Progress Report

MS4: Second Six-monthly Report

013/06VIE
Replacing fertiliser N with rhizobial
inoculants for legumes in Vietnam for
greater farm profitability and
environmental benefits

July 2008
Table of Contents

1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 1
2. Project Abstract _______________________________________________________ 2
3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 2

Dr David Herridge
Dr Roz Deaker
Ms Elizabeth Hartley
Mr Greg Gemell
Date commenced
March 2007
Completion date (original)
March 2009
Completion date (revised)
As above
Reporting period
October 2007 – March 2008

Contact Officer(s)
In Australia: Team Leader
Name:
Dr David Herridge
Telephone:
02 67631143
Position:
Principal Research Scientist
Fax:
02 67631222
Organisation
NSW Department of
Primary Industries
Email:


In Australia: Administrative contact
2
2. Project Abstract

3. Executive Summary

(NISF; now known as the Soils & Fertilisers Institute (SFI)). Institutions in Australia are
NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of Sydney. Legume inoculant
use by farmers in Vietnam will be increased through the development and
implementation of an effective extension and training program for researchers, MARD
extension officers and farmers. The benefits of inoculants and legume nitrogen fixation
will be demonstrated in the field and communicated through workshops, meetings and
publications. To ensure sustainability of inoculant production and use, the project will
engage the private sector in marketing and ‘pilot production’ of legume inoculants, with
the aim that they may scale-up production and progressively take over supply as the
technology and markets are developed.

3
conducted during the reporting period, although training scheduled for August-September
2008 in Thailand and for later in 2008 in Australia was discussed at the February 2008
Project Review Workshop.
Extension and training of farmers and advisors
Extension and training of farmers and advisors is a major focus of the project as a means of
facilitating adoption of legume inoculation in Vietnam. The extension-training program is
built around simple, multi-location inoculation experiments in the legume production areas of
the country. The experiments involve participation of farmers and extension officers in all
aspects, from the design of experiments to sowing, sampling, harvesting and interpretation of
results. The MARD extension service plays a large role in extension activities. Data from
field demonstrations will be used to produce an economic model for production and use of
legume inoculants in Vietnam. In addition, training courses will be organised for farmers,
extension workers and researchers in methods of inoculant use, and economic as well as
environmental benefits of inoculation.

A total of 28 demonstration (extension) trials have now been conducted in 9 provinces. At
the time of writing this report, data were available for 15 demonstration trials. The
demonstration fields usually had two treatments: +inoculation and -inoculation. Overall,

- Supply inoculants for farmers to test inoculants in their fields
- Technical support for farmers to use inoculants

4
Involvement of the private sector in inoculant production, distribution and
marketing
Careful selection of private sector partners for commercial production of legume inoculants
is critical for ensuring the sustainable supply of high quality legume inoculants to farmers in
Vietnam. After visiting potential inoculant producers in February 2008 and the withdrawal of
Fitohoochmon from the project it was initially concluded that the prospect of the private
sector producing high quality inoculants in Vietnam in the near future was low and that large
scale production should be carried out by the institutes. However, following this, contact was
made with the Thien Sinh (Komix) company which is much better equipped to adopt legume
inoculant production and a strategy has been developed for the transfer of technology from
the institutes to this company. A site visit in February 2008 revealed very good potential for
legume inoculant production. The facilities were well equipped for careful industrial
microbiological application. Technology transfer from the research institutes to the company
was discussed and a clear strategy was determined. The company also agreed to conduct
extension activities through their country-wide network.
4. Introduction & Background
Project Objectives and Expected Outputs
The Vietnamese government (MOI, MARD) is committed to increase the area sown to
legumes from the current 780,000 ha to >1,000,000 ha by 2010, with particular focus on
soybean and groundnut in the Mekong Delta, the Central Coastal region and upland
(highland) areas of the North, Central and North. The legumes are used for production of
food, oil and protein meal, and are grown as rotation crops with rice (Mekong Delta), as
intercrops in the upland areas with cassava, sugar cane, rubber, fruit and maize and as cover
crops in the sandy coastal soils. ACIAR Small Project LWR2/98/27 (Increasing yield and
nitrogen fixation of soybeans, groundnuts and mungbean in Vietnam through Rhizobium
inoculation) identified that legume production in Vietnam currently relies on expensive

3. Ensure the long-term viability of the project through involvement of the private sector
in this ‘pilot production’ of legume inoculants, with the aim that the private sector
would progressively take over production as the technology and markets are
developed.
The Project is aligned with the CARD Program Strategic Objective 2 ‘Improved productivity
and links to markets for the rural poor in the Mekong Delta and Central Coast regions’,
through Objective 2.1 ‘Increase rural productivity’, using principally Strategy 1 ‘Increase
productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural system’.
Project Approach and Methodology
The project strategy is to enhance inoculant production, quality, distribution and marketing
and farmer education through the collaborating institutions. It will involve both Government
institutions – Oil Plants Institute (OPI), the Institute of Agricultural Science (IAS) and the
Institute for Soils and Fertilisers (ISF) – as well as private sector companies (Fitohoocmon
Fertiliser JSC, Cu Chi Bio-Chemical Fertiliser JSC and Humix). The latter would be
involved initially in marketing and distribution of inoculants and would be provided with
advice and technical expertise to improve and expand their inoculant production capabilities.
In time, it is envisaged that the private sector would take over inoculant production, leaving
QA to the public institutions. Involvement of the private sector in both production and
marketing will ensure the long-term viability of the concept.
Increased production of high-quality inoculants and QA
The focus will be on rhizobial strains and their maintenance, inoculant production
(fermentation) technologies, quality assurance of the production process and products and
training in the production technologies and QA.
Rhizobial strains - Existing strains from the collections in Vietnam and/or other institutions,
eg. ALIRU (Australia), NifTAL (University of Hawaii), Suranaree University (Thailand) will
be utilised where appropriate. Decisions will be made about the most appropriate strains for
inoculant production through a program of research and development.
Strain maintenance - Protocols and operation manuals for maintaining strain effectiveness
and recognition to ensure stability of inoculant quality during long-term storage will be
developed and implemented. During the course of the project a decision will be made about

activities. Data from field demonstrations will be used to produce an economic model for
production and use of legume inoculants in Vietnam. In addition, training courses will be
organised for farmers, extension workers and researchers in methods of inoculant use, and
economic as well as environmental benefits of inoculation. This extension-training program
will be conducted by Vietnamese researchers in collaboration with Australian counterparts,
who will assist in collating and preparing extension materials for translation and transfer to
Vietnam.
Involvement of the private sector in production, distribution and marketing
Two (and possibly three) Vietnamese companies will be involved in the project,
Fitohoocmon Fertiliser JSC and Cu Chi Bio-Chemical Fertiliser JSC (and Humix). It is
envisaged that the market for inoculants will grow during the course of the project from the
current low level and that the private sector will progressively become involved as the
production technology is developed and the market for the inoculants expands. The
companies will initially be involved in marketing and inoculant distribution. Training
workshops will also be open to researchers from the collaborating private companies. Project
scientists will provide technical expertise to the companies throughout the project to
troubleshoot production problems and increase production capacity and product quality.
5. Progress to Date
5.1 Implementation Highlights
5.1.1 Increased production of high-quality inoculants and QA
The focus is on rhizobial strains and their maintenance, inoculant production (fermentation)
technologies, QA of the production process and products and training in the production
technologies and QA.

7
5.1.1.1 Rhizobial strains
The efficacies of local strains for soybean and groundnut were compared with that of
Australian commercial inoculant strains CB1809 (soybean) and NC92 (groundnut). Pot trials
at ISF indicated that inoculation with CB1809 resulted in more nodules on soybean plants
grown in sterile sand when compared with three local strains (Table 1). The ability for the


Graph 1. Range of nodulation responses
to inoculation
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 5 10 15 20
Field site
% response


There were large differences in nodulation, biomass yield and grain yield responses amongst
the rhizobial strains. Australian commercial strains CB1809 (soybean) and NC92
(groundnut) were more effective than local Vietnamese strains at almost field sites
(Appendix 2). Data analysis shows that when the crops were inoculated with CB1809 or
NC92, nodule weight, biomass yield and grain yield increased relative to the local strains at
85%, 85 and 90% field sites respectively. However, the extent of the increase was different
depending on sites and local strains. Graphs 4, 5 and 6 show the increase in nodulation,
biomass and grain yield of soybean and groundnut when inoculated with CB1809 and NC92,
respectively, compared with inoculation using local strains.
Graph 2. Range of crop biomass
responses to inoculation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60The two Australian strains, CB1809 and NC92, increased soybean and groundnut nodulation
by an overall average of 26%, relative to the local Vietnamese strains (Graph 4). Biomass
yields were increased by an average of 11% (Graph 5) and grains yields increased by an
average of 10% (Graph 6), relative to the local strains.

For each of the measures, there were large variations according to the particular site. For
nodulation, the range was 0–70%. For biomass yield, the range was 0–30% and for grain
yield, the range was 0–32%.

20
25
30
35
0 5 10 15 20
Field site
% Increase
Local Str 1
Local Str 2
Graph 6. Grain yield increases with CB1809 or
NC92 compared to local strains
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0 5 10 15 20
Field site
% Increase
Local Str 1
Local Str 2

10
5.1.1.2 Rhizobial strain maintenance
There is a need to ensure that the rhizobial cultures used in inoculant production are
maintained as authentic, pure strains that originate from the same source and are effective in
fixing nitrogen.

Experiments on inoculant production were conducted at SFI, IAS and OPI. Each institute
prepared inoculants using different sources of peat and measured survival over time. The IAS
measured survival of rhizobia in peat amended with worm casts and coconut coir dust thus
changing the water holding capacity of peat. Both OPI and IAS investigated the effect of
different additives on rhizobia in inoculants formulated as liquids, a technology that would
reduce the high cost of sterilisation of peat carrier, while the ability to culture rhizobia using
cost effective ingredients was investigated at SFI.

The SFI produced inoculants using sterilised peat with three local strains of soybean rhizobia
and two local strains of groundnut rhizobia. The Australian commercial inoculant strains
CB1809 (for soybean) and NC92 (for groundnut) were also included as reference strains.
The aim of the experiment was to compare the survival of local strains and Australian strains
in peat culture.

11

Broth cultures were grown in erlynmeyer flasks and transferred to a fermentor after growth.
The broth was checked for contamination after growth in both the erlynmeyer flask and
fermentor. Peat was collected, milled, mixed with lime and sterilised by autoclave in the
packet. The pH of the peat was 3.0 to 4.0 after collection and increased to 6.8 to 7.0 after the
addition of lime. After sterilisation, peat was suspended in sterile water, diluted to 10
-6
and
plated on glucose-peptone media to check for contamination. The packet was then sealed
and injected with broth. Broth was added to peat at a ratio of one part broth to four parts peat.
The initial moisture content was less than 10% and increased to 40% after injection. The
inoculant was incubated for one week and then stored at room temperature.

The number of rhizobia in peat was measured at time intervals up to 6 months, immediately
after production, after 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months (Table 2). The initial counts for soybean


Number of rhizobia (CFU/g) Rhizobial strains
Innitial 2 weeks 1 month 2 month 3 month 6 month
CB1809
Local strain SL1
Local strain SL2
Local strain SL3
5.0 x 10
9
2.3 x 10
9

1.8 x 10
9

2.1 x 10
9

6.2 x 10
9
4.8 x 10
9

3.4 x 10
9

3.2 x 10
9
5.6 x 10
9

2.7 x 10
8
2.5 x 10
8

1.2 x 10
8

1.3 x 10
8

Ingredients for growth of rhizobia in large scale fermentors can be expensive. The SFI
investigated the replacement of laboratory grade yeast extract with industrial yeast extract
and soybean extract. All rhizobial strains grew to 10
9
cfu/mL indicating that fermentation
media can be prepared using more cost effective and accessible ingredients (Table 3).

Table 3. Number of rhizobia grown on different growth media

Media Strains
YEM Soybean extract Crude yeast extract
CB1809
SL1
SL2
SL3
6.1 x 10
9

3.1 x 10

A comparison of strain tolerance to temperature and pH revealed that there was little
difference in growth of strains in media at different temperatures and growth of all strains
was best at 30
o
C. Numbers were low at 25
o
C and lowest at 37
o
C. No cells grew at >45
o
C
(Table 4). Differences were observed in growth of strains at pH 5.5 with Vietnamese strains
achieving 10 fold higher numbers than Australian strains indicating acid tolerance that may
be an advantage in acid soil conditions (Table 5).

12

Table 4. Effect of temperature on growth of strains

Growth of strains Temperature (
0
C)
CB1809 SL1 SL2 SL3
25
30
37
>45
++
+++
++

Growth of rhizobial strains pH
CB1809 SL1 SL2 SL3
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
-
-
-
+
++
+++
+++
++
-
-
-
-
-
++
++
+++
+++
++

CFU/ml
+++ good growth, 10
8
– 10
9
CFU/ml

The aims of laboratory experiments at the IAS were to determine the factors influencing the
number of viable rhizobia in inoculants. Higher numbers of rhizobia in the inoculant have
greater potential to outcompete resident soil microflora after inoculation of legumes and
increase N
2
fixation. The cost of inoculation would also decrease because of the need for
smaller volumes.

The IAS prepared inoculants using the Australian inoculant strains NC92 (groundnut) and
CB1809 (soybean). Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of dilution of the
broth culture on final numbers of rhizobia in peat mixed with worm casts and coconut coir
dust after incubation (Table 6). Growth in the peat mixture of broth cultures diluted using
yeast mannitol broth (YMB, to give final broth concentrations of 0.1%, 1%, 10% and 30%)
was compared with growth of undiluted cells containing 10
9
cfu/mL. The peat mixture (70 g)
was injected with 38 mL of broth. After four weeks of growth, the results indicated that
injection with undiluted broth cultures was necessary to achieve maximum numbers of 6.18 x
10
7
for NC92 and 5.85 x 10
8
for CB1809 in the peat mixture. The ratio of viable cells of


5 NC 92 100 6.30 x 10
7

6 CB 1809 0,1 4.68 x 10
5

7 CB 1809 1,0 9.95 x 10
5

8 CB 1809 10 4.73 x 10
6

9 CB 1809 30 6.18 x 10
7

10 CB 1809 100 5.85 x 10
8Many inoculant producers dilute broth cultures before injection into peat as a means of
extending the broth culture and reducing the requirement for very large fermentor volumes.
Large volumes of broth are more expensive to produce and are easily contaminated during
production. Thus, smaller volumes are highly desirable particularly in the less developed
countries. In Thailand, inoculants are produced using broth cultures that have been diluted to
1/1000. It is recommended that experiments at the IAS be repeated with special attention to
sterilisation of peat and dilution of broths in water. At the SFI peat was less than 10%
moisture before sterilisation and at the IAS it was only 1% moisture. This was identified as a
potential problem resulting in inefficient sterilisation. It was recommended that the moisture
content of peat be adjusted to 20% before sterilisation. However, not all peat and peat


2 CB 1809 Peat 5.4 x 10
6

3 NC 92 Peat + worm casts 8.3 x 10
8

4 CB 1809 Peat + worm casts 5.4 x 10
8

5 NC 92 Peat + worm casts + coconut coir dust 2.5 x 10
9

6 CB 1809 Peat + worm casts + coconut coir dust 6.8 x 10
8Liquid inoculants at the IAS were prepared by adding PVA (0.5%), gum Arabic (0.17%) and
sodium alginate (0.5%) to broth as adhesives for better survival of rhizobial cells on seed.
After one month rhizobial numbers were highest in PVA (4.15 x 10
8
/mL for NC92 and 6.88
x 10
7
/mL for CB1809) and Na alginate (1.04 x 10
8
/mL for NC92 and 5.38 x 10
7
/mL for
CB1809) and lower in gum Arabic (4.42 x 10

5.1.1.4 Inoculant production technology - issues arising in February 2008
Project Review Workshop, OPI, HCM City
Present at the Project Review Workshop at OPI were personnel from all collaborating
institutes – OPI, IAS and SFI (Vietnam) and NSW Department of Primary Industries and the
University of Sydney (Australia). In the workshop, personnel from each Vietnamese institute
presented 2007-08 research and extension reports. The major outcome of the Workshop and
subsequent discussions was a clear R&D plan for inoculant production, and
recommendations for revised methods for conducting experiments.
The following section outlines those recommendations related to experimental design and
protocols for testing of peat-based legume inoculants. Some suggestions are made to improve
the designs of experiments presented by institutes at the project meeting at OPI on 18
th
and

15
19
th
February 2008. New strains of rhizobia CB1809 and NC92 will be supplied from
ALIRU to OPI. These will then be distributed for use in all research in 2008. Sterile
Australian peat will also be supplied to institutes as a reference to compare the quality of
Vietnamese peat. All demonstration trials will be set up using Australian peat cultures of
CB1809 and NC92.

General information about peat quality
The quality of inoculants in Australia was improved, following widespread nodulation
failures, by the amelioration of five main factors affecting survival in peat (Roughley and
Vincent, 1967). Firstly, the origin of the peat was shown to be important. Survival of clover,
lucerne and cowpea rhizobia varied according to the location and depth of the peat source.
The peats tested varied according to their colour and texture but no explanation was given by
the authors as to the cause of variation in survival. Secondly, pH was shown to be critical and

capacity and water potential. It is desirable to increase the water holding capacity of the peat
so that larger amounts of broth culture (and hence more cells) can be introduced to peat
before incubation. Experimental design to test survival at different moisture contents is
detailed as follows:

Optimum moisture content of peat or mixtures of peat with other ingredients should be
determined at both IAS and SFI using only one strain of rhizobia to minimise the number of
samples and the treatments listed in Table 9. Before injecting peat with broth, peat must be
sterilised with a moisture content of 20%. The efficacy of sterilisation should be measured by
injecting broth without bacteria and measuring growth of contaminants over time for one

16
month. Suspend peat and dilute as is done when counting rhizobia and spread onto the
surface of glucose peptone media. Record the dilutions at which growth occurs.

Table 9 Treatments for measuring optimum moisture content for legume inoculants
Moisture content (%) Liquid added (mL) Volume of broth (mL)
Volume of sterile water
(mL)
40 29.5 29.5 0
50 52.5 29.5 23
60 87.5 29.5 58

Calculations based on 70 g dry peat after adjusting to 20% moisture content for sterilisation

Equation [1] is used to calculate moisture content of 70 g dry peat. The same equation can
be used for any quantity of peat but if the peat is moist the mass of dry peat must first be
calculated.

70 100

+0.35(120 )
x
x
=
+

42 0.35
x
x
=
+

0.35 42xx
−
=

0.65 42x
=64.6x
=
17
64.6 g moisture should be added to 120 g dry peat to achieve 35%. If peat already has 30 g

dilutions. Figure 7. Counting and confirmation of viable rhizobia from contaminated peats Sources of peat
Apart from characteristics at the source such as salinity, clay, organic matter or
contamination with chemical residues, some unknown factors will affect suitability of peat

plates
10
-2
10
-3
10
-4
10
-5
10
-6
Carrier suspended in sterile water (10 g in 90 mL, 10
-1
dilution)
Spread 0.1 mL on the surface of duplicate
CRYMA plates and count colonies after growth
taking note of diltuions with contamination
Prepare dilution series to 10
-6
Inoculate 2 plants
from each of the
10
-5
and 10
-6
dilutions and
check for nodules
to confirm colonies
are rhizobia on the
corresponding

in the Baseline Information Report, submitted May 2008.
5.1.1.6 Training in inoculant production and QA
There were no specific training programs during the reporting period. It is intended that
training of 3–4 Vietnamese researchers from collaborating institutes and commercial
companies will be conducted at the Suranaree University of Technology (Thailand) in
inoculant production, QA and laboratory management, as well as R&D in rhizobiology
during July–August 2008. Additionally, there will be training for one Vietnamese scientist in
Australia during the latter part of 2008. Training during 2007 was reported in the First Six-
Monthly Report, submitted September 2007.

5.1.2 Extension and training of farmers and advisers
The extension-training program for farmers and extension officers is built around simple,
multi-location inoculation experiments in the legume production areas (Mekong Delta, the
Central Coastal region and upland (highland) areas of the North and Central and the South
East). They involve participation of farmers and extension officers in all aspects, from the
design of experiments to sowing, sampling, harvesting and interpretation of results. The
MARD extension service plays a large role in extension activities. Data from field
demonstrations will be used to produce an economic model for production and use of legume

19
inoculants in Vietnam. In addition, training courses will be organised for farmers, extension
workers and researchers in methods of inoculant use, and economic as well as environmental
benefits of inoculation. This extension-training program will be conducted by Vietnamese
researchers in collaboration with Australian counterparts, who will assist in collating and
preparing extension materials for translation and transfer to Vietnam.
5.1.2.1 Field Surveys of farmer knowledge and attitudes to inoculation
The Surveys were conducted during April – August and again during December – February
to determine the level of knowledge about inoculants, inoculant use by farmers and advisers
and their attitudes to inoculant use in the future, and, finally, current production and QA of
inoculants in Vietnam. Results were reported in full in the Baseline Information Report,


Graph 8. Profit from soybean inoculation
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
0246810
Field site
million VNĐ
Graph 9. Profit from groundnut inoculation
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
02468

-
Can we use legume inoculants for other crops?
-
Are inoculants effected by bad weather such as heavy rain, hot weather when inoculation
and during plant growth?
-
Can we use inoculants together with urea (fertiliser N)?

And main requests:
-
Supply inoculants for farmers to test inoculants in their fields
-
Technical support for farmers to use inoculants

5.1.3 Involvement of the private sector in inoculant production, distribution
and marketing
When the project was initiated, it was envisaged that 2–3 Vietnamese companies would be
involved in the project. It was also envisaged that the market for inoculants would grow
during the course of the project from a low level and that the private sector would
progressively become involved as the production technology was developed and the market
for the inoculants expanded. The companies would initially be involved in marketing and
inoculant distribution, rather than production. Training workshops would also be open to
researchers from the collaborating private companies. Project scientists from the Government
institutes would provide technical expertise to the companies throughout the project.
5.1.3.1 Commercialisation of inoculant production and marketing in Vietnam
The following analysis was done during and following the February 2008 Project Review
and assumed that the retail cost of a product is made up of one third production, one third
distribution and one third profit. It is only meant as a rough guide to understand the possible
motivation of inoculant manufacturers in Vietnam. There are many companies in Vietnam
that produce biofertilisers (products that contain one or several microorganisms that are

scale production should be carried out by the institutes. However, following this, contact was
made with the Thien Sinh (Komix) company which is much better equipped to adopt legume
inoculant production and a strategy has been developed for the transfer of technology from
the institutes to this company.

It is important to ensure through the extension program that legume inoculants maintain a
perception of high quality and that they are different from other inoculant biofertilisers.
Vietnamese companies currently producing inoculant biofertilisers applied at rates of 0.2–5
tonnes per hectare may be attracted by large profits from poor quality inoculant. Production
of high quality inoculant by private companies would require a substantial investment in
capital and training. While their capacity to produce large volumes of inoculants exceeds that
currently required for production of rhizobial inoculants for soybean and groundnut in
Vietnam, the inoculant quality would be very poor and difficult to control. The attitude
towards production of microbial inoculants would need to be changed completely.
Biofertiliser production techniques and equipment indicate a very poor understanding of
microbial requirements for growth and survival (see attached reports on individual company
site visits as Appendix 5).

While there are national standards, the quality of biofertiliser products is not effectively
controlled and it is almost certain that they are of poor quality. To our knowledge, the only
biofertiliser produced with any attention to bacterial numbers and product quality is BioGro,
developed by Professor Nguyen Thahn Hien at the Hanoi University of Science with
contributions from AusAID and ACIAR over 8 years. Separate starter peat cultures for each
biofertiliser organism are produced by Professor Hien and distributed to biofertiliser
companies who mix the organisms into a multistrain inoculant extended with non-sterile peat
to achieve large volumes. Current application rates of BioGro are 0.2 tonnes/ha and above.

22
Rhizobial inoculants do not suit this kind of production as peat should ideally be sterilised
and therefore the quantity should be kept to a minimum to reduce sterilisation costs.


Inoculant application rate (to achieve 2.5 x 10
11
cells/ha)
3 kg/ha

1 kg/ha 250 g/ha
Cells/g moist peat
1
0.8 x 10
8
2.5 x 10
8
1 x 10
9
Cost of peat
2
840 dong 280 dong 70 dong
Total moist peat
3
3000 tonnes 1000 tonnes 250 tonnes
No. packets
4
30 million 10 million 2.5 million
Amount of broth
5
900 L 300 L 75 L
Retail cost/ha
6
540,000 dong 180,000 dong 45,000 dong

and open up more markets.

Table 12. Current and future capacity of institutes to produce high quality legume inoculant in
Vietnam.

Current capacity (tonnes/year) Institute
Current
production
t/year
1 10 100 250 1000 3000
IAS
*
1.1
9 8 8 8 8 8
SFI 12
9 9 8 8 8 8

Full production capacity for highest quality inoculants is 250 tonnes per year followed by 1000. Quantity of 3000
tonnes per year is required at current quality.
*
IAS is interested in increasing capacity to meet demand.

5.2 Smallholder Benefits
Potential benefits for smallholders are valued at A$50–60 million p.a., principally through
reduced use of fertiliser N. Benefits for the smallholders should start to flow through after the
second year of the project.5.3 Capacity Building
Capacity building has commenced with participation of 17 Vietnamese scientists/technicians