Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development CARD Project Progress Report
Management of Phytophthora diseases in
Vietnamese Horticulture
CARD 052/04VIE

MS3: SECOND SIX-MONTHLY REPORT

January 2006 1
1. Institute Information
Project Name
Management of Phytophthora Diseases in
Vietnamese Horticulture
Vietnamese Institution
National Institute of Plant Protection, Hanoi
Vietnamese Project Team Leader
Dr Nguyen Van Tuat
Australian Organisation
The University of Sydney

(02) 9351 7903
Position:
Research Grants
Administration Officer
Fax:
(02) 9351 3256
Organisation
The University of Sydney
Email:


In Vietnam
Name:
Dr Nguyen Van Tuat
Telephone:
+84 4838 5578
Position:
Director
Fax:
+84 4836 3563
Organisation
National Institute of Plant Protection
Email:
2. Project Abstract

diseases and improving smallholder productivity.
Following the scientific training workshops held in Vietnam and the subsequent scientific
study tour of Australian horticulture sites by Vietnamese scientists, scientific staff in
Vietnam were well equipped to transfer disease diagnosis skills and knowledge of
management strategies to extension agencies and farmers. This report describes three
two-day extension training courses organised by staff at National Institute for Plant
Protection (NIPP)-Hanoi, Fruit Tree Research and Development Centre (FTRDC)-Hue
and Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI)-My Tho, Vietnam between August and
October, 2005. The workshops were attended by 80 staff from extension agencies in 16
Provinces who were trained in integrated disease management strategies. The gender
balance of participants was tipped towards males with 32% of participants at all three
workshops being female. This pattern was similar to that seen in the first series of
scientific training workshops held in June, 2005.
Training Manuals, both hardcopies and CDs, were distributed at each workshop. The
training manuals were based on the manual developed for the first series of scientific
training workshops held in June 2005 with some corrections to the Vietnamese
translations of the earlier edition. The manual was well received and provides a
comprehensive future reference point for participants.
The Extension Training Workshops provided a hands-on approach to diagnosis and
management of Phytophthora diseases in Vietnam. Extension staff were trained in
pathogen identification, disease diagnosis, disease management and PAR. Lecture

sessions introduced participants to a variety of Phytophthora species and the diseases
they can cause on a range of plants, the impact of Phytophthora diseases on horticultural
crops, the concepts of disease diagnosis, pathogen isolation and identification, disease
epidemiology and disease cycles. This knowledge was implemented during field trips to
identify diseased plants and collect material for laboratory analysis. In the laboratory
participants learnt techniques to isolate Phytophthora from soil and plant material and to
identify Phytophthora as the causal organism of the disease. A selection of disease
management options were developed to present to farmers as part the extension

team will run a series of workshops and supervise short on-farm research projects. Our
workshops aim to fill the current gaps in knowledge of Phytophthora diseases at all levels
in Vietnamese horticulture. Scientific workshops at each site will involve staff of the
three collaborating institutes as well as relevant staff from universities. These workshops
will focus on the biology of Phytophthora, the diseases it causes, and potential

management practices. Staff will be trained in diagnosis at the field and laboratory levels.
The hands-on training workshops will contribute to capacity building in the research and
extension institutes involved. Scientific staff will then be equipped to transfer diagnostic
skills and Phytophthora disease management strategies to extension agencies and
farmers. The first Scientific Training workshops were held at the National Institute for
Plant Protection (NIPP)-Hanoi, Fruit Tree Research Development Centre (FTRDC)-Hue
and Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI)-My Tho in June 2005 and were discussed
in the first six-monthly project progress report. The final training Scientific Training
Workshop to be organised by the Australian partners is scheduled for November 2006.
The second level of workshop will focus on symptom recognition and the application of
integrated management to smallholder farmers. Between August and October, 2005
Vietnamese scientific staff from each of the three institutes ran workshops for Provincial
Plant Protection Sub-Division (PPSD) staff, who will then supervise participatory
research and other extension activities involving smallholder farmers. The crops
identified above will form the basis of the research extension activities. The Australian
partners will support research and extension staff in the development of integrated
disease management strategies for each crop in each region, the design and
implementation of Phytophthora training workshops for provincial PPSD extension
workers in each region and the design and implementation of PAR and other extension
activities involving PPSD staff and smallholders. Results from the PAR trials will be
presented at the final workshop in November 2006.
The third level of training in Vietnam will disseminate the results to smallholders in 5
provinces in each region through Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodologies
learned during this and previous projects. Farmers will be offered a range of farm

PAR. Details of the participating farmers and research projects from SOFRI were not
received in time to be included in this report.
5. Promotion of awareness of pathogens, disease and disease management strategies
amongst farmers through establishment of PAR trials and extension activities.
5.2 Capacity Building
1. Scientific study tour of Australia
The study tour conducted in July 2005 exposed the Vietnamese scientists to nursery and
horticultural production best practice techniques as well as techniques in pathogen
identification and research training. Scientific staff will then be equipped to transfer
diagnostic skills and Phytophthora disease management strategies to extension agencies
through extension workshops and farmer training programs. Study tour reports from Mrs
Nguyen Thi Ly and Dr Nguyen Van Hoa are attached in Appendix II.
2. Extension Training Workshops
The Extension Training Workshops in this project aim to fill the current gaps in
knowledge of Phytophthora diseases at all levels in Vietnamese horticulture. Hands-on
Extension Training Workshops were held at NIPP, FTRDC and SOFRI between August
and October, 2005 and included a total of 80 staff from Provincial Plant Protection Sub-
Division (PPSD) (Appendix III). The Extension Training Workshops focused on the
recognition of disease symptoms and the application of sustainable and effective
integrated management strategies. A comprehensive training manual based on that
developed for the first Scientific Training Workshop was provided to workshop
participants as both a hard copy and an electronic copy (CD). The development and
distribution of the training manual provide participants with a guide to which they can
refer as the need arises.
Staff who participated in these training workshops will now supervise participatory
research and conduct other extension activities involving smallholder farmers. The crops
identified above will form the basis of the research extension activities. The Australian
partners will visit PAR sites in February 2006 to support research and extension staff in
the design, implementation and monitoring of PAR and other extension activities
involving PPSD staff and smallholders. Workshop participants will present the results of

7.2 Options
The targets of the second milestone have been met. The project is running well and no
changes are required.
8. Next Critical Steps
The activities that will be undertaken in the next six months are:
1. Scientific training tours of Australia for Mr Ai from FTRDC who did not receive his
visa in time to participate in the tour in July 2005.

2. Australian partners to visit Vietnamese farm trial sites in February 2006, meet with
Vietnamese team and discuss progress and activities for 2006.
3. Review farmer training and extension activities.
4. Final workshop in November 2006 to discuss outcomes of PAR and farmer trials.
9. Conclusion
The objective of this CARD project is to reduce crop losses due to Phytophthora diseases
through extension of sustainable and effective disease management recommendations and
thereby improve smallholder farmer productivity. Extension training workshops were
held at NIPP-Hanoi, FTRDC-Hue and SOFRI-My Tho for 80 staff from provincial
extension agencies. The hands-on approach to teaching and learning in the workshops
will contribute to capacity building in the extension institutes involved. Extension staff
are equipped to transfer Phytophthora disease management strategies to farmers.
Knowledge gained from these workshops will also enhance the capacity of extension
workers to address future disease risks. To promote awareness of improved farm and
disease management practices amongst farmers, a selection of disease management
options were developed to present to farmers as part of the extension recommendations.
Farmers have been selected to participate in on-farm trials and PAR to actively
disseminate the extension information. The results of the farmer trials will be discussed in
the final project workshop to be held in November, 2006. In completing these activities
we have successfully addressed the second milestone.