Hue University Journal of Science: Agriculture and Rural Development

Current situation and implications to enhance rural youth’s access to land: a case study in Hue city

Nguyen Tien Nhat, Nguyen Huu Ngu, Tran Thi Phuong, Thi Yen Tho Truong — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study examines the barriers to land access and land use among rural youth in Vietnam’s mountainous areas, drawing on interviews with 100 young people, two focus group discussions, and eight key-informant interviews conducted in Long Quang commune, Hue city. The findings indicate that youth face substantial challenges in land access, particularly financial constraints, fragmented landholdings, and limited awareness of opportunities to participate in land policy processes at the grassroots level. Although they acknowledge the importance of land legislation and view recent administrative reforms positively—reflecting the State’s efforts in legal dissemination, but most remain indifferent or disengaged. This results in a persistent gap between policy intentions and practical needs, and constrains the voice of young people in land governance. Building on these insights, the study proposes four key directions: (i) Expanding credit schemes and land-support mechanisms for youth entrepreneurship; (ii) Enhancing youth involvement in resource planning and management; (iii) Strengthening land-law communication through digital platforms; and (iv) Promoting a more transparent, accessible, and youth-friendly administrative system.

Growth and biomass yield of tropical grass varieties across seasons in Hue city

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Five tropical grass varieties—Ruzi, Mulato II, Purple, Mombasa, and Mun River—imported from Thailand were cultivated in Hue city to evaluate their growth performance and biomass yield across multiple harvests during the year. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (Randomized Complete Block Design-RCBD) with four replications for each variety. The establishing period lasted 105 days after sowing the seeds, and subsequent regrowth harvests were carried out at 45-day intervals. Monitoring from September 2022 to December 2023 (one initial harvest and eight regrowth harvests) revealed significant differences in growth and biomass yield among the varieties (p<0.05). Purple, Mombasa, and Mun River had greater plant heights than Ruzi and Mulato II, whereas Ruzi and Mulato II produced more leaves and tillers (p<0.05). Biomass yields of Mombasa, Mun River, and Purple were higher than those of Mulato II and Ruzi (p<0.05). Growth and biomass yield were higher during the dry season (March–September) and lower during the wet season (October–February). The nutritional composition (on a dry matter basis) ranged from 6.97–10.53% Crude Protein (CP), 68.58–73.44% Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), 34.69–43.63% Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF), and 9.50–12.61% Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL).

Classification of potential soil erosion on agricultural land and mountainous farmer’ perceptions of soil erosion in Hue city

Tung Pham Gia, Nhu Ngo Y, Chau Tran Thi Minh — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study was conducted in the mountainous area of the former Phu Loc District, Hue City, to assess potential soil erosion using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and to examine local perceptions of this phenomenon based on interview data from 40 agricultural households. The results indicate that potential soil erosion was mainly concentrated in severity classes IV (200–400 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and V (400–800 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), accounting for 62.76% of the total study area. At the 90% confidence level, a difference was found between Kinh and Co Tu respondents in their ability to correctly identify soil erosion; confusion between soil erosion and landslides was relatively common, particularly among the Co Tu group. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between ethnic groups in identifying the causes and consequences of soil erosion. In terms of gender, no significant difference was found in recognizing the erosion phenomenon itself, whereas statistically significant differences were detected between men and women in identifying its causes and consequences. The study recommends increasing land cover in combination with community communication using accessible language and field-based demonstrations to improve awareness and support the selection of appropriate farming practices.