From science to application: field demonstrations to enhance sustainable rice production in the north of Vietnam—lessons from the LEGATO project

Two major human-made problems in rice production systems in the north of Vietnam concern the low plant-available silicon content of soils and the low biodiversity. The results of the LEGATO project suggest a change to an environmentally friendly rice production system that will help to recover biodiversity. We propose here a framework for a demonstration and dissemination model that will be exemplary for the farmers once it has been successfully realized. We advocate local-option models in different districts to demonstrate to farmers. The methods should be adapted to local and ecoregional differences in climate and land-use tradition, and they explicitly take into account soil care, organic fertilizer, manual weeding, native nectar-rich plant bunds, manual pest snail collection, hymenopteran nesting aids, and biodiversity and yield monitoring.