Japanese rice trials show promise in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Initial trial results indicate the Japanese rice varieties have adapted well to local farming conditions, according to Le Van Dung, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.

The pilot project began during the 2025 summer-autumn crop season through a collaboration between the provincial agriculture department and specialists from Niigata University in Japan.

Three Japanese rice varieties, including NU1, Shindai5, and Koshihikari, have been tested under Vinh Long’s natural conditions.

Trial results show that the varieties not only perform well in the province’s soils and climate but also produce high-quality grains while supporting low-emission cultivation practices aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Japanese rice varieties have low amylose content, placing them in the soft-rice category favored for their texture.

Also, key quality indicators were generally rated good to very good.

Researchers also reported encouraging environmental benefits.

The alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technique reduced methane emissions by between 20 percent and 24 percent for the Japanese rice varieties during the 2025-26 winter-spring crop.

Experimental treatments using beneficial microorganisms also demonstrated potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Dung said the provincial administration has instructed technical staff to continue closely monitoring the trials to ensure all cultivation procedures comply with scientific requirements.

The province expects Can Tho University and Tra Vinh University to continue their support and send experts and scientists to participate in monitoring the experiments and analyzing soil, water and post-harvest grain quality.

Future research will also assess consumer preferences, commercial viability, and technology transfer opportunities to determine whether the model can be expanded if the results continue to meet expectations.

The province plans to extend the trials through the next two cropping seasons to further evaluate the varieties’ consistency, resilience to adverse growing conditions, productivity and commercial grain quality across different seasons.

The initiative stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in early August 2024 between Vinh Long Province and Japan’s Niigata Prefecture.

The deal covers four areas of cooperation, including testing new rice varieties in Vinh Long, reducing methane emissions from agricultural production, promoting rice export and import activities, and agricultural workforce exchanges.

Since the agreement was signed, Vinh Long authorities have worked closely with their counterparts in Niigata to deepen practical cooperation, with the broader goal of strengthening bilateral ties between Vietnam and Japan.