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% 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.