The study aims to identify risks of agrochemicals that impact farmworkers, consumers, and ecology in Vietnamese mango cultivation to enhance safety and friendly production. The study finds out the total numbers of root fertilizers (N-P-K) of the noncooperative and cooperative farmers are similar, approximately 1,400 kg/ha/year higher than those in other countries. Excessive fertilizer usage is a potential threat to soil, water, and air pollution. In addition, the findings indicate that the ecology component is undergoing the most negative impact from excessive agrochemical use in mango farming. The vast majority of agrochemicals in mango cultivation are fungicide and paclobutrazol over 90% of the total number of agrochemicals used in both noncooperative and cooperative farmer groups among the three seasons. Total field EIQ of the cooperative grower category is less than that of the noncooperative grower category. These results show that mango cultivation should consider rejecting the banned active ingredients of glyphosate, paraquat, and carbendazim as well as reducing fungicide and paclobutrazol usage and encouraging cooperative participation to safeguard the environment and human health. Moreover, science information needs to be closely linked and fed back to policy development to boost the management of the awareness of the ecological risks for farmers associated with reducing agrochemical use in mango cultivation.
Ellochelon vaigiensis (squaretail mullet) adapts to a wide salt spectrum, grows quickly and is easy to raise with other species, so it is the object of attention in aquaculture. Information on the biology and ecology of the species, diet, in particular, is still scattered. Here, we explore the feeding habit, feeding intensity, and food composition of the squaretail mullet. A total of 942 fish (526 males and 416 females) were collected from November 2020 to October 2021 at four coastal sites in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The squaretail mullet is an algi-omnivorous fish, as their relative gut length (1.81) falls into the range 1-3, and the diet is mostly based on algae. The feeding intensity is high due to the high value of the fullness index (4.39 ± 0.08%). The fullness index did not vary by sampling site and month, while RGL and FI changed depending on sex. Bacillariophyta (49.13%), detritus derived from organic matter (30.37%), and Cyanophyta (18.39%) are the dominant food items in the diet composition of E. vaigiensis, in which detritus is the most important food with the highest IRI index. Besides, Euglenophyta (1.00%), Chlorophyta (0.95%), Paramecium (0.06%), Copepoda (0.04%), Rotatoria (0.03%), Polychaeta (0.02%), and Cladocera (0.01%) are also recorded and ranked based on their biovolume. Some differences in diet composition are observed between immature and mature at different seasons and their interactions. Our results increase the knowledge about the feeding ecology of squaretail mullet and can help the sustainable management of this commercially important fish species.