1. Plant Varieties

The Institute for Forestry Research and Development is a reputable institution recognized for the quality of plant varieties in the Northern mountainous region of Vietnam. The Institute provides a wide range of plant seedlings, including:

Forestry Tree Species:

Seedling production for forestry species is one of the Institute’s core strengths. The Institute focuses primarily on fast-growing timber species for reforestation and raw wood production, such as Acacia, Eucalyptus, Manglietia, and Toona spp.

By applying advanced in vitro propagation techniques in forestry seedling production, the Institute’s skilled technical team has successfully propagated hybrid Acacia clones (BV10, BV16, BV32) and Eucalyptus clones (U6, U7) through tissue culture, ensuring high propagation rates and superior seedling quality.

To improve productivity and quality of plantation forests, the Institute has developed and standardized intensive reforestation protocols for Acacia, Eucalyptus, Toona, and Manglietia suited to the Northern mountainous provinces and applicable nationwide.

The Institute has also successfully propagated and supplied indigenous forestry species, focusing on ecologically and economically valuable species such as Erythrophleum fordii (Lim xanh), Michelia mediocris (Giổi xanh), Dalbergia tonkinensis (Sưa đỏ), Toona sinensis (Xoan ta), and Toona sureni (Xoan đào).

In addition, the Institute has selected and propagated specialty forest tree species, including grafted Canarium album, grafted Canarium tramdenum, Calamus spp., and Premna spp. These trees are propagated from elite clones with high and stable yields, which are highly favored in the market.

Medicinal Plants:

The Institute has selected and successfully propagated numerous high-value medicinal plants to meet the growing demand for medicinal plant cultivation inside and outside the province. These include Morinda officinalis (Ba kích tím), Zingiber zerumbet (Gừng gió), Polyscias fruticosa (Đinh lăng), Fallopia multiflora (Hà thủ ô đỏ), Anoectochilus setaceus (Lan kim tuyến), Curcuma zedoaria (Nghệ đen), Amomum spp. (Sa nhân), Panax pseudoginseng (Tam thất), Desmodium styracifolium (Kim tiền thảo), etc., using tissue culture methods.

Fruit Trees:

In cooperation with the Vegetable and Fruit Research Institute, the Institute has researched, selected, and grafted high-value fruit tree varieties such as Taiwanese jujube, large-fruited jujube, Thai jackfruit, late-season longan, Taiwanese guava, sapodilla, seedless persimmon, grafted avocado, star apple, and others for market supply. These fruit trees have clear provenance, quality assurance, and are widely recognized and trusted by organizations and individual growers.

To improve the genetic quality of plant varieties and to establish a brand and a recognized seed supply center for Thai Nguyen province and the Northern mountainous region, the Institute—under the framework of the Forestry Seed Development Investment Project in Thai Nguyen (2010–2015)—has been developing an integrated forest seed management system. This includes:

• A tissue culture laboratory

• A seed testing laboratory

• A network of nurseries, seed orchards, and seed forests

By 2014, the following were successfully established:

• A 3.5 ha seed forest of Toona sinensis

• A 5.2 ha seed forest of Acacia mangium

• A 1.2 ha provenance trial area

• A 3.0 ha conservation orchard for elite genotypes of nine species: Acacia, white Eucalyptus, red Eucalyptus, grafted Canarium album, grafted Canarium tramdenum, Dendrocalamus barbatus (Tre mai), Morinda officinalis, and Amomum spp.

These will serve as sources of high-quality planting material for Thai Nguyen province and the broader Northern mountainous region.

2. Inputs and Seeds

Since 2012, the Institute for Forestry Research and Development (formerly the Northern Mountainous Forestry Research Center) has supplied a wide variety of plant seeds. Notably, the Institute is a reputable supplier of Australian Acacia mangium seeds to watershed protection forest management boards, government agencies, and private nurseries serving reforestation programs.

Seed products include a wide selection, such as:

• Acacia mangium (Australian provenance)

• Chukrasia tabularis (Lát hoa)

• Erythrophleum fordii (Lim xanh)

• Amomum spp. (Sa nhân)

In addition, the Institute provides various input materials to support the development of forestry and agriculture sectors. In cooperation with the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Genetics, the Institute supplies eco-friendly biological pesticides and microbial products, ensuring safety for users and the environment.