Abstract
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.
Data availability
All data and associated R scripts are stored in the OpenICPSR Repository: [https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/239565](https:/www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/239565/version/V1/view) under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the General Statistics Office (GSO) of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) during the period of research and data collection. We note that, following government restructuring, the GSO has since become the National Statistics Office, under the Ministry of Finance, and MARD has been merged into the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture (MEA). We thank Bùi Chí Bửu for very helpful comments.
Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the CGIAR System Council for the Viet Nam Country Study.
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F.K., S.V., J.S., D.G. and J.P. contributed to the conception and design of the work and to the interpretation of data. F.K., D.G. and J.P. performed the analysis. F.K. drafted the manuscript. S.V., J.S., D.G. and J.P. reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Kosmowski, F., Visaria, S., Stevenson, J. et al. Farmers more likely to adopt rice varieties with higher density of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in Viet Nam.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44331-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44331-9
Keywords
- Adoption
- QTL
- Marker-assisted selection
- Molecular breeding
- Rice
- Viet Nam
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