Reference Data for "Farmers More Likely to Adopt Rice Varieties with Higher Density of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) in Viet Nam"

This paper offers the first nationwide analysis of
Vietnamese rice varieties by combining DNA-based identification with
quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and household survey data. Using nationally
representative data from 2022, we found that 51% of rice farmers grew improved
varieties. These varieties contained significantly more beneficial QTLs associated
with yield, grain quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses than genetically
unidentified varieties. On average, the improved varieties cultivated had been
released 14 years prior to 2022. Farmer’s
socioeconomic characteristics correlated with adoption patterns: belonging
to an ethnic minority or residing in a government-classified poor commune significantly
reduced the likelihood of growing an improved variety. Among adopters, varietal
traits were further associated with specific adoption choices. Each additional trait-related
QTL was associated with a 0.9 percentage point increase in a province’s
adoption rate. Traits conferring tolerance to abiotic stress were positively
associated with adoption, suggesting farmers may prefer varieties that enhance
resilience to environmental stressors.

Keywords: Adoption; QTL; Marker-assisted selection; Molecular
breeding; Rice; Viet Nam;<br>