Smartphone app helps rice farmers in Vietnam to save their crops from high salt levels in water

A new smartphone app from is helping rice farmers in Vietnam save their crops from high salt levels in water.

The app, launched by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Vietnam, measures salinity remotely and sends results to farmer’s mobile phones, providing farmers with an early warning detection system to tell them when salty water is getting into their fields and to help them stop it before it ruins their crops.

Seawater intrusion has been a problem in the low-lying Mekong Delta, where more than half of the Vietnam’s rice is grown. During the dry season, the salty water can leach into fields and ruin crops. It’s understood that rising sea levels are exacerbating the problem.

The data from the app helps rice farmers decide when to flush out the paddy fields with freshwater to protect their crops.