Page 138 - Final Report Improving information and developing a repository of sustainable soil management practices in Asia

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the 15-15-15 fertilizer is applied for 1 teaspoon per tree. When it reaches the age of 4-6 months, it

is dug to be cultivated in plastic bags or it is prepared to be seedling with naked roots for being
utilized further. For the area of 0.16 ha, 100,000 vetiver seedlings are obtained on average. This

bring about the income of propagating vetiver grass accounting for 882.35 USD 30,000 baht
annually. This is due to the fact that the vetiver variety of Songkhla 3 can grow in the soil with a

slight to medium salinity and it is in much demand of the market. Therefore, this is an important
place of producing vetiver grass seedlings of Thung Kula Ronghai.

4. Regarding planting Acacia ampliceps on the levee, it is a salt-tolerant (high salinity)
plant which can be propagated by seeds. This can be done by collecting seeds from the tree at the

age of 2 years up. Flowers start to bloom in October and seeds are collected in succession from

March to May because pods are not ripe together at the same time. Before planting the seeds, they
are soaked in hot water with the temperature of 90 °C in order to destroy dormancy. Sandy loam

and rice hull ash are mixed with compost or manure with the ration of 2: 2: 1 to be planting
materials. Then, the young plants are transferred to a pierced plastic bag. After 7 days of

germination, the height is about 5 centimeters. In the third month, the young plant is allowed to be

fully exposed to light to increase strength. Then, the young plant at the age of not more than 3
months is transferred to be planted in the soil at the beginning of the rainy season from July to

August. The planting distance of 2 meters along the levee is used. The size of a hole is 30x30x30
centimeters. Compost and manure incorporated with soil is put at the bottom of the hole. After the

planting hole is covered up, rice hulls are used to cover it. Mr. Somporn can produce Acacia

ampliceps seedlings to be sold in the amount of 1,176.47 USD per year. Planting ampliceps is an
alternative which farmers in areas with saline soil can manage by themselves in order to restore

degraded soil to have better qualities.

5. The achievement from using the technology in managing water perfectly with soil

meeting the needs of rice and managing the integrated planting system is the environment which
other areas do not have. Therefore, Thung Kula Ronghai is the source of producing top-grade hpm

Mali rice suitable with the rice variety Kao Dok Mali 105 in building an aromatic substance called
2- Acetyl- 1- Pyrroline or 2AP which is the same substance found in pandanus leaves. This

substance smells like jasmine. The ability to build this kind of substance is determined by genes

in DNA. This substance originates when rice is in stress from drought, water shortage in some
periods especially during the harvesting period in which rice builds and secretes this aromatic

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