Project
Climate Resilient crOPS FOR future-proof mekong DELTA (CROPS4DELTA)
CROPS4DELTA explores how Dutch and Vietnamese companies and Wageningen University Research can introduce salt tolerant crops in the Mekong Delta (e.g new melon varieties, bitter gourd, chili pepper, potato and highly salt tolerant quinoa). Stakeholder consultations and a workshop in Vietnam should lead to project proposals for R&D.
CROPS4DELTA is initiated based on the interest from a Dutch breeding SME, Radicle Crops, a spin-off of WUR, who specialises in the development and application of cutting-edge breeding technologies to accelerate the introduction of novel crops into global food system including quinoa. Quinoa is an exceptional new crop with the unique salt-tolerant property that can potentially contribute to food security as it has a healthy balance of proteins with all the essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fibre, and seed oil. In the context of climate change, quinoa is a crop that has proven to be able to withstand extreme level of salinity and drought.
WUR has established field trials with Tra Vinh University testing salt-tolerant quinoa in Vietnam. Radicle Crops sees opportunities for quinoa in the saline Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Through CROPS4DELTA, the company wants to understand the opportunities to improve its quinoa varieties to perform better in Vietnam and their opportunities in the value chain in Vietnam. In addition to quinoa, CROPS4DELTA also explores the business interests of other Dutch breeding companies (East West Seed and HZPC) who have interest in improving salt tolerance of existing crops to be grown in other parts of the Mekong Delta area (incl e.g the highly salt tolerant quinoa, bitter gourd, chili pepper. potato). CROPS4DELTA wants to explore the opportunities to introduce new crop rotations in the salt-affected lands of the Mekong Delta.