Site-Specific Nutrient Management for Maize in Vietnam (Viet-Corn)

Corn is the second major cereal crop in Vietnam after rice. Though domestic production dramatically increased by approximately 8.4% annually during the past 10 years, the growing demand especially for the rapidly growing feed grain sector cannot be met. The currently recorded average maize yields in comparison to climatic-genetic yield potential indicate that there is a large scope for further increasing the maize production by closing this yield gap. However, the maize production systems in Vietnam vary depending on agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions. The identification of major production constraints in the main maize growing areas and the development of tools to overcome them in a site specific approach is the main focus of this project. This project was initiated to pool the expertise of the national Agricultural Research and Development as well as the Extension Institutions in Vietnam to co-operate with internationally recognized organizations. The overall goal of this project is to improve the productivity and profitability of maize in major agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of Vietnam through site-specific, integrated nutrient and crop management.

The project has an intended duration of three years (2005-2007) and is linked to the SEAP Project in Indonesia (Indonesia-26) and The Philippines (Philippines-04).