Current situation of cassava in Vietnam and the selection of cassava doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from CIAT Hoang Kim, Nguyen Van Bo, Reinhardt Howeler and Hernan Ceballos

INTRODUCTION Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Vietnam has been rapidly changed its role from food crop to industrial one in the beginning of 21st Century. In 2006, area planted to cassava was 475,000 hectares, with total production of 7.71 million tons of fresh root and average yield of tons per hectare (FAO, 2008). As compared to the year 2000, the production increased threefold; fresh root yield augmented twofold with increasing rate of 14.7% annually

Vietnam is now the second largest exporting country of cassava products after Thailand while animal feed factories also contribute significantly to the increasing demand for cassava root. Cassava starch has become as one of the top seven promising exporting commodities and is attracting attentions from many local government authorities.

Vietnam has made the fastest progress in application of new technologies in breeding and new cultivar propagation in Asia. Such progress has been considered as a result of many factors, of which the success in breeding and application of new technologies were the main contributing factors.

This paper cover in three topics: 1) Current situation of cassava production and consumption in Vietnam; 2) The selection of cassava doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from CIAT; 3) Lessons from CassavaViet and the potential of cassava as a bio – fuel.

1. CURRENT SITUATION OF CASSAVA PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION IN VIETNAM 1.1 Review of cassava production in Vietnam Cassava in Vietnam is among the four most important food crops (Table 1). But it has always been considered a secondary crop even though it has played an important role in national food security. During the past two decades of economic renovation, Vietnam has successfully escaped lingering food deficiency. Cassava now an important source of cash income to small farmers, who either use it for animal feeding or for sale to starch factories.

In year 2006/07 about 350,000 ha of new varieties were grown, mainly KM94, KM140, KM98-5, KM98-1, SM937-26, KM98-7. This corresponds to about 75 % of the total cassava area in whole country. New high-yielding cassava varieties and more sustainable production practices have increased the economic effectiveness of cassava production.

1.2 Review of cassava processing and market in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are 60 cassava processing factories in operation, with capacity about million tons of fresh root, produce about 800, ,200,000 tons of starch annually, of which 70% for export and 30% used domestically. Vietnam has recently developed an E10 policy requiring the production of 100 to 150 million liters of bio-ethanol from cassava per year.

1.3 Case study of cassava market in the Central provinces

The average labour requirement is 125 manday /ha. The second largest cost item is fertilizer, constituting 41.8% in Binh Dinh and 24.7% in Gia Lai, depending on farmers’ investment in fertilizer. With the selling price of fresh root of 900 VND/kg; farmers can earn 10,720 to 11,200 thousand VND/hectare. The total variable cost of cultivation in 2007 was about US$ /ha, at an average root yield of 22.0 t/ha, the production cost would be US$ /t fresh roots. Gross income is US$ 1,155- 1,237.5 /ha. Net income is US$ /ha

2. THE SELECTION OF CASSAVA DOUBLED HAPLOID (DH) LINES DERIVED FROM CIAT The introduce and development of cassava doubled haploid (DH) plants from CIAT could become an important tool to support hybrid cassava breeding (Zaida Letini, Hernan Ceballos 2003; Hernan Ceballos et al. 2007a; Hernan Ceballos et al. 2007b). Some promising doubled haploid (DH) lines were made, evaluated and test crossed in the field.

The selection of cassava doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from CIAT In the period, a total of 24,073 sexual seed, new hybrid cassava elite clones from CIAT and 37,210 hybrid seeds from 9-15 cross combinations in Vietnam, 38 breeders’ varieties (from Thailand, Colombia/CIAT, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam), 31 local farmers’ varieties, were planted at HARC and NLU. Of these, 344 accessions of cassava were selected, maintained, and evaluated for priority traits. Results of the selection, 98 cassava varieties were the best

Cassava variety KM140 Cassava variety KM140 is a hybrid selected from KM98-1 x KM 36 cross. KM140 is a supplementary variety for main variety KM94 in order to extend harvesting time, which are now ready for release. In South East region, planting at beginning rainy season and harvesting at 7,8 and 9 months after, KM140 gave fresh root yields of 23.5, 26.7 and 28.7 ton/ha, respectively, equal to that of KM94. Figure 7: Starch content of KM140 harvested 8 months after planting was 28.4% higher than that of KM94 (26.2%), with significant difference

3. LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE VIETNAM CASSAVA PROGRAM AND THE POTENTIAL OF CASSAVA AS A BIO - FUEL FEEDSTOCK FOR INCREASING DEMAND OF CASSAVA Lessons learned from the Vietnam Cassava Program Vietnam Cassava Program support by MARD in close cooperation with CIAT of the Nippon Foundation project, promoted the rapid multiplication and wide distribution of high-yielding and high-starch varieties, and the adoption of sustainable cassava production practices, especially in the Central Coast, Central Highlands and Northern mountains and uplands.

Lessons from CassavaViet 1.Six Essential Conditions (6Ms) for a Successful Cassava R&D Program and Establishment of a Vietnam Cassava Program (VNCP) 2.Ten Mutual Link-up Extension Activities (10Ts) 3. Establishment of Demonstration Fields and FPR Source: Hoang Kim, Pham Van Bien, Reinhardt Howeler 2003,

6M and Establishment of a VNCP Conduct Contract Consultation Collaboration Cooperation Commitment 1. Man Power 2. Market 3. Material 4. Management 5. Method 6. Money Lessons from CassavaViet

10T 10T Mutual Link-up Extension Activities Lessons from CassavaViet

N-P-K Selection of key solution for cassava R&D Indigenous nutrient supply Soil Manure Crop residues Irrigation water Climate Soil fertility maintenance in cassava systems Soil erosion control in cassava-base systems Intercropping in cassava-base systems Cassava new varieties Root and leaf silage for fig feeding

From Single Technology to From Single Technology to Integrated Crop Management Establishment of Demonstration Fields and FPR Lessons from CassavaViet

Diagnosis Potential solutionsEvaluation Farmer- Researcher & Extensions- Local Gov. Persons -Traders Adoption Research FPR trials Select the most suitable pilot sites Problem Diagnosis with farmers Conduct demonstration plots Help farmers test FPR trials Organize farmers’ field days Encourage adoption and dissemination Model to through FPR and FPE Model to extend technologies developed “Sustainability of Cassava Production” through FPR and FPE

Petrosetco, a division of PetroVietnam, plans to build two tapioca-based ethanol plants in southern and central Vietnam. The state-run company signed two separate deals with Japan's Itochu Corp. and UK's Bronzeoak Group last year. The joint venture with Itochu will see the set up of a plant with a 75 million litre annual capacity in southern part of the country. Petrosetco and Bronzeoak are investigating the possibility of a 150 million litre plant in central Vietnam. Both plants will draw ethanol from tapioca chips sourced from within Vietnam, according to sources close to the projects. Media reports placed the investment values at around US$80 million to US$100 million for the joint venture between Petrosetco and Itochu, and US$138 million for the project with Bronzeoak (Energy Current 2008) The potential of cassava as a bio - fuel

VNCP was agreed to emphasize the following seven topics: Determination of an appropriate strategy for cassava research and development Selection of cassava doubled haploid lines derived from materials of CIAT and applying mutation in cassava breeding; Selection and dissemination of high-yielding varieties with high starch contents; Selection and development varieties with high root yield, short duration and improvement of quality and nutritional valua of cassava. Research on integrated cultivation techniques and transfer of appropriate cultivation techniques to farmers to increase the productivity and economic efficiency of cassava production in different eco-regions. 3.3 Implication for cassava research and development

Cooperation with processing factories in establishing areas with a stable source of raw materials; Use of cassava for bio- ethanol. Research on the development of cassava processing technologies; Use of cassava leaves and roots in animal feeds and food processing. Structural improvement and development of the extension network. Development of local and export markets for cassava products.

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