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.

Sugarcane bagasse, an agricultural residue, is a fibrous material containing cellulose as its main component, produced in large quantities worldwide. The aim of this work was to investigate the production of unbleached cellulose pulp from sugarcane bagasse using the soda cooking process with sodium hydroxide as the alkaline reagent. The cooking conditions were investigated with dosages of sodium hydroxide from 20% to 25%, temperatures from 150°C to 170°C, and cooking time from 75 to 105 min. The response surface methodology was used to study the effect of pulping variables on observed parameters. The results indicated that the optimal cooking conditions achieved the highest yield of 46.4% w/w and the lowest kappa number of 20.6 at a sodium hydroxide dosage of 23%, a temperature of 155°C, and a cooking time of 93 min. Further analysis of paper produced from the investigated pulp, refined at varying revolutions (0 to 3000 rpm), revealed that optimal strength properties were achieved at a refining level of 31°SR, equivalent to 2500 rpm. At this refining level, handsheets with a basis weight of 85 gsm exhibited a tensile strength of 2 kN/m, a burst strength of 2.7 kgf/cm², and a ring crush strength of 6.9 kgf. These findings confirm that the mechanical properties of the refined pulp meet the strength requirements of commercially recycled kraft paper, demonstrating its suitability for similar applications.

The Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) form a reciprocal symbiosis with approximately 80% of terrestrial plant species, including various agricultural crops. They provide essential nutrients to host plants, improving drought tolerance, salinity resistance, and disease resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of AMF to control Phytophthora disease in chili plants grown in a net house. Eight treatments were applied, including two controls (without AMF), five with AMF supplementation at different formulation ratios (30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70%), and one using a commercially available AMF product. The results showed that AMF enhanced plant growth and development while reducing the negative effects of Phytophthora sp. on chili plants. Compared to the control, the 70% AMF treatment exhibited the lowest disease incidence and severity indexes at 17, 24, 31, and 38 days. The corresponding disease index and disease rate during the observation period were 0.8%, 1.2%, 1.8%, and 2.3% for the index, and 4.0%, 5.4%, 8.9%, and 9.9% for the rate, respectively. Furthermore, 24 days after treatment, the 70% AMF treatment demonstrated a 70.1% disease prevention effect.

Vegetable cultivation is essential to Vietnam’s agricultural development strategy. Meloidogyne spp. has caused a root-knot disease which is dangerous due to decreased plant vitality, yield, and quality. This research aimed to select fungal strains controlling Meloidogynes spp., which causes root knots in vegetable plants. As a result, strains of the fungi Paecilomyces sp., Mariannaea sp., and Penicillium sp. effectively inactivated second-stage juveniles (J2) after 72 h of inoculum. Specifically, Paecilomyces sp. was immobilized in 64.5% of the nematodes, Mariannaea sp. was 72%, and Penicillium sp. was 70%, compared to only 13.5% in the control group without fungal inoculation. In a net house experiment investigating the influence of fungal strains on J2 in Malabar spinach (Basella alba L.), the Mariannae sp. strain inoculated on plants at a density of 107 cfu/mL produced the best results in terms of root length (25.3 cm) and root weight (0.4 g) compared to the control uninoculation (18.5 cm; 0.3 g) and the control with only the nematode (11.2 cm; 0.2 g). Additionally, the Mariannaea sp. strain significantly reduced the number of juvenile nematodes per 50 g of soil (15.7 J2) compared to the control (160 J2) in Malabar spinach (Basella alba L.) in a net house.

In the field of agricultural data analysis, achieving high quality classification modeling remains a significant challenge due to the inherent variability and complexity of agricultural datasets. This study investigated cutting-edge approaches to enhance model performance through data augmentation techniques and the application of advanced deep learning models to artificially enlarge the training dataset, thereby improving model generalizability and robustness. Additionally, the study evaluated the efficacy of state-of-the-art models (i.e., ViT-Ti/16, CaiT-XXS-24, XCiT-T12, Resnet26, ConvNeXt-T) for agricultural data analysis. The experimental results revealed a marked improvement in terms of accuracy and F1-Score when applied data augmentation into the training session. This underscored the potential of these techniques to significantly advance the field of agricultural informatics. Briefly, the findings contributed to the development of more reliable and high performance models for agricultural practices.

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combining 17 α-Methyltestosterone (MT) with nano chitosan on the survival rate, masculinization rate, and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) using the immersion method. A completely randomized design was conducted, with five treatment groups receiving varying concentrations of MT and nano chitosan: chitosan + 1 mg MT/L (1 MC), chitosan + 1.5 mg MT/L (1.5 MC), chitosan + 2 mg MT/L (2 MC), chitosan + 2.5 mg MT/L (2.5 MC), and chitosan + 3 mg MT/L (3 MC). A control group was also included, with each treatment replicated three times. Seven-day-old fry were exposed to the MT solution for 2 h before being transferred to nurseries in hapas within earthen ponds at a stocking density of 1,500 fish/m² for a 60-day rearing period. After 2 h of hormone treatment and the 60-day rearing period, the 2.5 MC treatment exhibited the highest survival rate. Male ratios in the MT treatments ranged from 76.67% to 83.33%, significantly higher than in the control group (55.56%) (P < 0.05). Specifically, the male ratios in the 2.5 MC and 3 MC treatments were 82.2% and 83.3%, respectively, which were higher than those in the other MT treatments, however,these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). While the mean weight and length of fish in the MT treatments were greater than those in the control group, these differences were also not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The study further revealed a positive correlation between the average weight of the fish and the hormone concentration. Based on these findings, a dose of 2.5 mg 17 α-MT/L in combination with nano chitosan is recommended for achieving optimal mono-sex male tilapia production.

The meat yield, biochemical compositions of muscles, and hepatopancreas of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) fatted under a recirculating water system were compared concerning molting stages, gender, and kinds of fresh feed. In the postmolt stage, the juvenile crabs (100 - 200 g of body weight) were reared into the recirculating water system and fed with two kinds of fresh feed (bivalvia and tilapia meat). As the crab developed from the postmolt stage going to the intermolt and end at the premolt stage, it was harvested and analyzed for its biochemical components. The results showed that meat yield from the legs-claw muscle of male crabs was higher (P < 0.05) than that of females, and hepatopancreas of crabs in the premolt stage was also accumulated higher (P < 0.05) than that of crabs in the intermolt stage. In terms of molting stages, the moisture content of muscles and hepatopancreas of crabs in the premolt stage was lower (P < 0.05) than that of crabs in the intermolt stage. The Fe content of hepatopancreas was the same result too (P < 0.05). Conversely, other biochemical components such as protein and lipid contents of legs-claw and hepatopancreas, Mg content of body and legs-claw muscles, and K content of legs claw and hepatopancreas of crab in the premolt stage were higher (P < 0.05) than those of crabs in the intermolt stage. For the gender aspects, lipid contents of body muscle and hepatopancreas, P content of the legs-claw and hepatopancreas, and K content of the legs-claw muscle were higher (P < 0.05) in females than in males. In comparison, the ash content of body muscle and the Fe content of hepatopancreas of male crabs were higher (P < 0.05) than those of females. Regarding feed, crabs fed by bivalvia meat accumulated ash in body muscle, Ca, Mg, and P contents in hepatopancreas higher than those of crabs feeding tilapia meat. The results illuminate the possibilities for both consumers and processors to correctly select the molting stages and gender to cater specifically to their requirements.

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.

The objective of this study was to assess the current situation of beef cattle production in households in some districts of Lam Dong province. Ninety household beef cattle farms (HBCFs) were chosen from Cat Tien, Don Duong and Duc Trong districts (10 households/commune and 3 communes/district) to perform the survey using pre-printed questionnaires and direct interviews on a cross-section study model and the Participatory Rural Appraisal method. Results showed that beef cattle husbandry householders have an extensive experience in beef farming with 36.7% having 11 - 15 years of experience (P < 0.01), although their educational levels were low, with 31.1% at the primary level (P < 0.01). There were 7.3 cattle/household in the total number of herd and and a beef cattle group of 4.7 cattle. Most households operated a husbandry scale from 1 - 5 cattle/household comprising 60.00% of the total herd (P < 0.01) and 69.32% of the beef cattle group (P < 0.01). High-yielding breeds dominated the current beef production systems in HBCFs, in which BBB cross-breeds accounted for 57.95% and 76.84% of households and total cattle, respectively; Charolais cross-breed accounted for 25.00 and 12.6%, respectively (P < 0.01). There was a high level (92.22%) of husbandry and management method as tied stall form (P < 0.01). Additionally, 76,14% of HBCFs applied fattening procedure for beef cattle before selling to abattoirs (P < 0.01), but artificial insemination application in HBCFs was just 48.86% (P = 0.763). The average daily gain of the beef herd for whole husbandry and fattening periods reached 580.3 and 696.4 g/day, respectively. Briefly, these results suggest that there are some limitations in beef cattle production on household farms for developing sustainably high-yielding beef cattle farming in Lam Dong. Therefore, there should be more application of scientific advancements to improve the present situation.

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.

Tight junction (TJ) proteins play a critical function in forming a strong intestinal barrier that protects against ingested pathogens and harmful agents. This study aimed to utilize multiplex RT PCR (mRT-PCR) to assess the expression of ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin genes at mRNA level in the intestines of pigs using specific primer pairs yielding amplicons of 167 bp, 500 bp, and 235 bp, respectively. The mRT-PCR protocol was optimized for annealing temperature and primer concentrations, including primer specificity, and determining the limit of detection. Subsequently, the optimized mRT-PCR was applied to detect these genes in 48 pig intestinal samples, including duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The mRT-PCR demonstrated specificity for these genes with the annealing temperature at 58°C. The primer pair ratio for ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin was 0.4 µM:0.4 µM:0.4 µM (2:2:2). The detection rate for ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin genes were 83.33% (40/48), 29.17% (14/48) and 4.17% (2/48) respectively. Intriguingly, one sample tested positive for all three mRNA, while negative results were observed in 12.5% of the samples. In conclusion, in the present study, the mRT-PCR was successfully established to detect ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin expression in pig intestinal tissues.

This laboratory-scale study was designed to investigate the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gases during the bio-conversion of agro-waste by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) for 14 days. The study included three experimental treatments: a control group without waste and BSFL (T0, lab background), treatment 1 containing waste with BSFL (T1), and treatment 2 containing only waste (without BSFL, T2). Process efficiency was measured by waste reduction and bio-conversion rate. Gas emissions from the process were collected using the static chamber method and determined using the gas absorption method. The results in the treatment T1 showed a notable BSFL survival rate of 99.7%, indicating a favorable condition for BSFL growth. The waste reduction rate in the T1 treatment (74.3%) was approximately two times higher than that of T2 (38.7%), indicating the ability of BSFL to decompose organic wastes efficiently. The pH and moisture content of the waste were monitored throughout the 14-day trial for both T1 and T2, and similar trends were observed. Compared to T0, gas emissions from T1 and T2 were higher. Furthermore, the CO2 and H2S emissions in T1 were higher than those in T2, while NH3 levels released in T2 were relatively higher than in T1. The preliminary results presented here could be the basis of future studies on gas emission via BSFL treatment of agro-waste.

As a gateway of Ho Chi Minh City to the sea, Can Gio district plays an important role in economy, society, defense, environment and international integration with a famous Can Gio biosphere reserve forest area. In the coming time, Can Gio district will have many large national projects. The development of Can Gio will also be associated with tasks and solutions to protect the biosphere. Therefore, monitoring land use/land cover (LULC) changes contributes to support sustainable Can Gio planning. In this study, multi-temporal Landsat satellite image data was used to extract land use information by Google Earth Engine (GEE). At the same time, the Geographic Information System (GIS) method was also used to process data layers and calculate LULC changes in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2024. Research results showed that, from 1990 to 2024, the bare land or wasteland in Can Gio has been effectively converted. That had increased the area of land types such as: forest, residental- contructional and aquacultural land. Because of the forest restoration and forest protection policies of Government, local officials, youth volunteers and residents, the area of mangrove forest had been increased in Can Gio (1.8 times with 15,441 ha). Besides, the increase of population and economic development led increasing residental and constructional land areas (4.2 times with 875 ha). Study results also showed that GEE geospatial processing service is a useful solution for LULC analysis on a large scale such as Can Gio district. It contributes to quickly and effectively support the supervision of local authority in master planning, land use planning… where comprehensive and sustainable development is needed.

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are highly nutritious exerting health benefits such as preventing malnutrition, reducing heart disorders, and potentially prevent certain types of cancer. Kefir is one of the fermented dairy products containing probiotics and renowned for its beneficial effects on human health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gelatin concentration, fermentation temperature, and starter culture ratios on pH, the rheological properties, texture properties, and SEM (scanning electron microscope) of peanut kefir. The rheological properties of Peanut kefir exhibited pseudo plastic behavior (0 < η < 1) and weak gel properties. Peanut kefir’s rheological characteristics (viscosity, shear stress) and texture properties (hardness, adhesiveness, adhesive force) changed with gelatin content, fermentation temperature, and starter culture ratio. The FTIR spectrum of the gel peanut kefir sample was similar to that of the control sample. The optimal conditions for producing peanut kefir were 0.5% gelatin content, fermentation temperature of 25oC for 13 h, and a 5% starter culture ratio, resulting in a smooth kefir surface structure and a well-bound kefir gel. The SEM images revealed that the experimental sample exhibited a stable gel texture and no layer separation compared to the control sample. Generally, gelatin content, fermentation temperature, and starter culture ratio significantly influenced the quality of peanut kefir.

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.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is a significant pathogen causing yellow mosaic disease in Cucurbitaceae. It can spread rapidly from infected plants to healthy ones or through contaminated seed sources, leading to a substantial reduction in the yield and quality of pumpkins after harvest. Currently, there is no effective treatment to eliminate this virus, making seed screening prior to planting and the removal of symptomatic plants the most effective control methods. In this study, a 214 bp target gene of the ZYMV was amplified using specific primers, then cloned into the pJET1.2 vector and transformed into Escherichia coli JM109. A realtime RT-PCR procedure was developed to detect and quantify ZYMV utilizing a primer pair designed for a 164 bp product. The standard curve was established with the equation y = -3.417x + 49.605 and correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9969 for quantifying the ZYMV virus. The realtime RT-PCR was built with qualitative results corresponding to the PCR method. Additionally, the procedure quantified test samples with viral loads ranging from 7.1 x 106 to 8.5 x 109 copies/μL.