Production Efficiency and Quality of Mustard Greens (<i>Brassica juncea</i> (L.) Czern) Cultivated According to the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practice (VietGAP) Guideline in Thai Nguyen City
Keywords:
Clean vegetables, Food safety, Mustard greens, Quality, Plant growth, VietGAP.Abstract
Mustard greens (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern) is one of the major vegetables produced and consumed in large volume in Thai Nguyen city. Application of advanced cultivation techniques for quality produce would contribute to improving the quality of life and sustainable production efficiency for vegetable growers. This study was carried out during August – November 2011 to evaluate the efficiency in terms of plant growth and quality of mustard greens in Thai Nguyen condition. In the experiment, two sub-plots were divided to compare growth parameters between plants grown according to the VietGAP guideline (experimental treatment) and conventional farmers’ method (control treatment). Quality of the experimental plants was tested according to the current national standards. It was found that the experimental plants had significant higher growth parameters with regards to leaf number per plant and leaf areas than those of the control. Moreover, the lab tests showed the experimental plant samples met the quality standards to be certified as a clean produce. High levels of disease occurrence and damage were evident in the control sub-plot due to a number of reasons, namely, high planting density, improper manure treatment and fertilization, and overuse of chemicals. The comparative study on a home garden of a household would also improve farmers’ awareness, while at the same time it would serve as a demo-plot for local farmers to have a more practical view on the improved cultivation method and thus a gradual shift in their production practices.
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