TY  - PRO
AU  - Singh,J.
AU  - Pal,B.
AU  - Vasal,S.K.|Gonzalez Ceniceros,F.|XiongMing,F.
AU  - Vien,P.V.
ED  - Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico, DF (Mexico)
ED  - 7, Proceedings of the Asian Regional Maize Workshop
TI  - Hybrid corn seed production - experiences and new prospects of hybrid corn cultivation in Vietnam
PY  - 2000///
CY  - Los Baños, Laguna (Philippines)
PB  - PCARRD
KW  - Crop yield
KW  - AGROVOC
KW  - Cultivation
KW  - Developing Countries
KW  - Germplasm
KW  - Maize
KW  - Seed production
KW  - Technological changes
KW  - Viet Nam
KW  - Zero tillage
KW  - Quality control
KW  - Hybrids
KW  - Plant breeding
KW  - Farming systems
N2  - Vietnam has an agriculture dominated economy which provides occupation for 70% of the population. Agriculture today contributes to 28% of the GDP of the country. Corn is the second main crop in Vietnam after rice, and has 610,000 ha under corn with 1.40 million MT total corn production. The average yield per ha has increased from 1.40 MT in 1988 to 2.30 MT in 1997. This is mainly due to the introduction of high yielding double and single cross corn hybrids by the public and private organizations. Despite high biotic and abiotic stresses, farmers can grow maize very successfully. Farmers in Vietnam have developed a number of new techniques like transplanting, zero tillage, intercropping with groundnut, coffee, and rubber to achieve fairly good yield levels. Farmers have very small landholdings (100-200 sq. m) and this, to a large extent, restricts mechanization in farming. Hybrid corn seed production with small land holdings at commercial level is a big challenge to all the public and private seed enterprises engaged in hybrid corn industry in Vietnam. Apart from small land holdings, rainfed agriculture, high disease pressure, high humidity, continuous rainfall during harvest and an intensive cropping system, are the other major limitations of hybrid seed production in Vietnam. However, in a scenario where the farmers of Vietnam are hardworking and receptive to new technology, there is always good hope for increasing the hybrid corn area, and also the hybrid seed production in Vietnam. For quality seed and better products, farmers can afford to pay high prices. This is seen as a positive sign for private seed industry . With the opening of Vietnam's economy, there is increased demand for corn grain for feed and feed-mills. Demand for corn is higher than supply and this contributes to higher price for corn grain in the domestic market. It is expected that the demand for corn grain will go up to 3 million MT by the year 2000 and this could be possible only through the introduction of high yielding, diseases tolerant and better tropical and subtropical germplasm. Furthermore, there needs to be free flow and exchange of germplasm between public and private sectors combined with better technology. Government support towards providing germplasm security and protection to private seed companies will further increase the role of private sector to boost corn production in Vietnam
ER  -