The objectives of the study were to evaluate the current state of land use for dragon fruit cultivation in Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province, identify influencing factors, and propose solutions for the sustainable and effective use of this land. The study utilized survey data from dragon fruit growers and expert consultations to assess the current situation and development trends, serving as a basis for proposing solutions. The key findings were as follows: (1) The area planted with dragon fruit increased by 3,767 ha from 2010 to 2020, but it began to decrease sharply from 2021. By 2023, the cultivated area declined to 2,933 ha, a reduction of 1,718 ha (36.94%) compared to 2020. (2) Productivity remained relatively high, with an average output of about 25 - 30 tons/ha during the on-season and 20 tons/ha during the off-season. From 2010 to 2020, the average profit was approximately 6,000 - 6,800 USD/ha per year, but since 2021 profits had declined sharply, averaging only about 3,744 USD/ha per year, with a continued downward trend leading to a gradual reduction in dragon fruit cultivation. (3) The main factors contributing to the shrinking area of dragon fruit land included economic factors such as selling price, profit, and export challenges, as well as technical and production planning factors. (4) The study proposed solution groups, including organizing production based on the value chain, supporting the development of large-scale enterprises, policy solutions, and human resources solutions.

The objective of this study was to evaluate growth performance of finishing pigs fed diets with two antibiotics or fed with organic originated supplements. A total of 48 crossbred weaned piglets were randomly assigned into four treatments and the study was conducted in 108 days. Each treatment had 06 replicates and 2 piglets (1 male and 1 female) per replicate. Those organic originated supplements included phytogenic extracts, organic acid, probiotics or new preparation of anti-bacterial peptides (trade name Halor Tid). The treatment I: pigs were only fed basal diet without antibiotics supplements or other organics feed additives (Negative control). Treatment II: pigs were fed with two antibiotics including colistin 1% and BMD 10% in order to prevent E. coli and Clostridium perfringens infection (Positive control). Pigs in treatment III were fed with a combination of phytogenic extracts, organic acid and probiotics whereas pigs in treatment IV were fed with a combination of phytogenic extracts, organic acid and anti-bacterial peptides. The results showed that the performance parameters such as body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and issues of diarrhea and mortality were the worst in the treatment I; whereas these performance parameters in the treatment III or in treatment IV were better than those in treatment II although this difference was not statistically significant at P > 0.05. Besides, the feed cost per kg of live weight of pigs in treatment III and treatment IV was significantly lower than that in treatment I and II.

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) is known as one of the most common and devastating tomato viruses worldwide. It causes mosaic disease, which significantly impacts the productivity and quality of tomatoes in Vietnam. Early and accurate detection of ToMV in tomatoes is essential for effective disease control. This study developed a detection and quantification procedure for ToMV based on realtime RT-PCR. In this study, a positive control carrying ToMV’s target gene segment was amplified to a size of 595 bp, then cloned into pJET1.2 vector and transformed into Escherichia coli JM109. A realtime RT-PCR procedure was established using designed primers to amplify a 182 bp gene segment of the RdRP ORF2 gene region. A calibration curve was created with the equation y = -3.777x + 41.973, resulting in a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.9939, which was used to quantify the ToMV virus. Additionally, the procedure quantified test samples with viral loads ranging from 1.7 x 104 to 9.5 x 106 copies/μL.

The cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) testa, commonly considered as a by-product of cashew processing, is rich in polyphenols. This research investigated the antimicrobial effects of the cashew nut testa extracts prepared using a mixture of 0.22% cellulase and pectinase (1:1, v/v) with a ratio of raw material to solvent of 1:55 (v/v), an extraction temperature of 49°C and pH 4.0 for 60 min. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various phenolic compounds in the testa extract, including saponins, coumarins, triterpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The extract’s antimicrobial efficacy was assessed against 4 bacterial strains associated with food poisoning: Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., and Salmonella typhimurium. Remarkably, the extract demonstrated inhibitory action against Staphylococcus aureus, producing an inhibition zone diameter of 1.00 mm at a concentration of 25 mg/mL and the largest diameter of 12.93 mm at 800 mg/mL. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined as follows: 200 mg/mL for Salmonella typhimurium, 100 mg/mL for both B. cereus and Shigella spp., and 25 mg/mL for Staphylococcus aureus.

The research aimed to produce freeze-dried Kefir yogurt supplemented with Cordyceps militaris, diversifying fermented foods, while offering convenient storage, consumption options and health benefits. To enhance the structure and flavor of the product, ingredients such as maltodextrin, skimmed milk powder and gelatin were incorporated. Experiments also included the addition of sucrose to further enhance these attributes. The optimal formulation for the freeze-dried Kefir yogurt supplemented with C. militaris was determined as containing Kefir with 5% C. militaris powder, while maintaining a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count of 7.4 × 107 CFU/g. This formulation also received the highest sensory scores and positive feedback on its structure, flavor, and moisture content, which remained below 5%. The study revealed that the addition of C. militaris powder to Kefir yogurt did not significantly impact the LAB count. In conclusion, the research successfully developed a freeze-dried Kefir yogurt enriched with C. militaris which contains bioactive compounds such as Cordycepin (1712 mg/kg) and Adenosine (89.9 mg/kg), contributing to yogurt’s potential as a promising healthy snack.