A 4.2-hectare paddy in Sóc Trăng province. Family-owned, two generations on the same plot. Three rice seasons on Nam Phương biology, side by side with a control plot on conventional inputs. Here is what we found.
Long Phú district, Sóc Trăng province. Mr. Trần Văn Hưng's family has farmed this 4.2 ha plot since 1978. Two generations, three crops a year, IR50404 and OM5451 rice. By 2021, yields were stalling and input costs were eating margin. They asked us to come and look.
| The plot | Snapshot |
|---|---|
| Location | Long Phú · Sóc Trăng |
| Area | 4.2 ha |
| Soil type | Alluvial · pH 5.4 |
| Variety | IR50404 · OM5451 |
| Cropping | 3 seasons / year |
| Trial start | Winter–Spring 2022 |
| Method | Side-by-side, control plot |
| Witness | Cần Thơ Univ. agronomists |
We measured every season — including the one that did not go to plan. Below: yield, input cost, and one notable thing per season.
Soil tests at the start of season one and the end of season three. Same plot, same lab, same protocol.
| Soil indicator | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Organic matter (%) | 2.1 | 3.4 |
| Microbial biomass (mg/kg) | 187 | 312 |
| pH | 5.4 | 6.1 |
| Nitrogen-fixing strains | low | healthy |
| Earthworm count / m² | 2 | 11 |
“My father planted this paddy. I planted my children's school fees in it. Now I am planting their future in it again.”
A simplified per-hectare comparison of the trial half against the control half. Vietnamese đồng, season three figures.
| Per hectare | Control | Nam Phương |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs (synthetic + bio) | 14.2 m₫ | 9.6 m₫ |
| Labour | 8.0 m₫ | 8.0 m₫ |
| Yield (t/ha) | 5.6 | 7.9 |
| Farm-gate price (₫/kg) | 7,200 | 9,000 |
| Gross revenue | 40.3 m₫ | 71.1 m₫ |
| Net per ha · per season | 18.1 m₫ | 53.5 m₫ |
For a smallholder family on 4.2 ha, three crops a year — that is the difference between making ends meet and putting children through university.
This is what we mean when we say biology should pay the farmer back. It does not always work this neatly. We do not pretend it does. But often, with the right strain on the right field, it does.
Long Phú gave us the protocol and the proof. We are now running the same trial design across twelve districts in three Mekong provinces, with thirty-two cooperating farms.
The full multi-site results will publish in 2027. Interim summaries are sent to research and distribution partners on request. If you are an institution that wants to be part of the next round of measurement, write to us — we still have plot capacity for season-six 2026.
Eight pages, charts, soil core photos, and the protocol notes. Sent on request — no form, no drip sequence, just an email.