VAAS has diverse responsibilities:  | - To provide to the Minister of MARD the comprehensive visions, strategic directions and research and development programs in Vietnamese agriculture and rural development; |
- To conduct basic and applied research, technology transfer and post-graduate training programs in agriculture and rural development.
-Major research fields: crop production,
soil fertility and fertilizers, plant protection, post harvest technology and quality assurance, cropping systems that are in harmony with the natural environment;
 | To evaluate, approve and monitor research and development projects that are submitted and implemented by the VAAS’ member institutions;
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To collect, maintain and multiply Vietnamese crop germplasm, breeding lines, parental lines and microbiological strains (including edible and medicinal mushroom/fungi);
- To deliver advisory services and production solutions for agriculture to the farming sector;
 | - To conduct the professional development of staff including post-graduate study and external training in agriculture and rural development;
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- To establish international liaison for co-operation in research, technology transfer, expertise exchange and human resources development; and
- To co-operate with local and international organizations and individuals to develop scientific research and technology, testing new techniques and human resources development on the assigned fields.
MAJOR OUTCOMES ACHIEVEMENTS  | Commercial of more than 200 new open pollinated and hybrid crop varieties in a range of important agricultural crops. |
These include rice, maize, legumes (soybean, mungbean, peanut), root and tuber crops (potato, sweet-potato, cassava, taro), vegetables (tomato, cucumber, cabbages etc.), fruit crops (citrus, lychee, longan, mango, jujube, guava), industrial crops (tea, coffee, cashew etc.) and flowers (white daisy, yellow panicle daisy, gladiolus, carnation, lily etc.);
 | Several crop production models for improving marketable yield and economic productivity have been successfully developed and extended into large-scale production;
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- Successfully developed several bio-organic products, multi-functional micro logical fertilizers, a rodent-killing micro-organism, foliage sprayers and plant growth-regulators;
 | Maintain approximately 13,500 accessions of 150 crop species and hundreds of micro-biological strains at the National Plant Genetic Bank; |
- Conduct a number of basic and fundamental studies in crop biotechnology at the cellular and molecular levels (microbiology) to assist plant breeding and microbiological studies. Developed effective controlling packages for new pests and diseases;
 | Studies on the process of formation and development of tropical wet-lands, soil fertility, methods for soil restoration, control of soil erosion and effective use of land;
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- Studies on social-economic issues such as agricultural commodity branches, roles of farmer associations and/or farmers’ co-operatives in the market places, trade marks and geographical guides for specialty products.
The main outcome achievements in period 2001-2005 Achievements on oriented-basic researches: In genetic technology:
Achievements on the study of plant and microbio-multigenic inheritance, gene mapping of valuable plant characters, applying successfully the molecular bio-technology, molecular markers as RAPD, SSR, AFLP, RGA, STS, … to analyze and evaluate the multigenic inheritance of maize, rice, soybean, some fruit tree crops to serve plant breeding work.
In organule technology:
 | Being able of generating plant genetic variations for selection, multiplication of free-disease planting material, conservation of valuable crop plant species for later use.
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In micro biological and enzyme- protein technologies: | Many useful microbio strains have been studied, isolated and selected to produce microbio fertilizers, and preparations for plant protection.
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A technological process for production and application of microbiological pesticides has been completed.
In plant resource studies:
+ 2000 accessions of over 50 plant species in the high risk areas of erosion were collected.
+ 13,300 plant varieties of over 115 species have been stored in National plant gene bank.
+ Exploitation and usage of plant genetic resources: In 2001-2005, the National plant gene bank delivered 3,494 varieties and 4,250 database serving various purpose of uses, contributing actively to plant breeding.
Achievement in development research Breeding of pure rice:
10 national varieties have been selected for different purposes, for intensive farming areas, for unfavorable condition areas (drought-acid-saline soils; submerged areas) short duration to avoid natural disaster, specialty rice, high quality rice such as CH5, MT163, P1, N97, NX30, DT122, DT16,…
Hybrid rice research and development:
Successfully developed:
 | - Some new hybrid rice varieties such HYT 83, HYT 12 and HYT 100;
- Technology for F1 hybrid rice seed production.
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Maize research and technology transfer:
 | -6 hybrid maize varieties were bred and officially released into production: LVN 9, LVN 22, LVN 24, LVN 99, LVN 8960, LVN 98-1.
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-At present, 60 – 70% of the total country’s maize hybrid seed demand is satisfied by local developed varieties.
Legume research and technology transfer: -8 groundnut/peanut varieties have been officially recognized as L05, L14, VD2, MD7, L08, L12, MD9.
-2 technical procedures, including “The procedure of using nylon coverage for peanut production” were developed and introduced into production.
Fruit crops study
 | Major crops: litchi, longan, bananas, mango, pineapples…
Major field: breeding, production technology development, post harvest studies.
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For vegetables and herbal crops:
 | More than 2000 vegetable varieties have been collected and evaluated.
15 new varieties were introduced into production.
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Procedures for “safe vegetable production” and for the F1 hybrid seed production of cucumbers, tomatoes, hot chili… are available.
Research results and technology transfer of sericulture and mulberry crops:  | 150 mulberry varieties and 85 silkworm breeds have been collected, maintained and exploited effectively. |
One F1 hybrid mulberry variety VH13 has been crossed, which can offer yield of 30-40 tones of leaves/ha and 5 silkworm breeds which can offer high yield and good quality silk threads
Research results and technology transfer of tea, coffee and cashew  | Three tea varieties PH1, LDP1, TR1777 were officially released into production.
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Breeding work and seed multiplication of cashew and coffee were also successful.
International cooperation | - VAAS has attracted collaborations from several international organizations. |
These include FAO, UNDP, IRRI, CIMMYT, CIRAD, ICRISAT, CIP, ACIAR, CAPSA, CIAT, AVRDC, IPRGI, the University of Kyoto (Japan), the University of Hohenheim (Germany) and the University of Wageningen (The Netherlands).
- Every year the Academy signs contracts and implements a large number of research and development projects with international organizations and foreign countries. The shared results and experiences in agricultural research and development contribute to the development of agriculture in Vietnam.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT & POST-GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM
 | - VAAS strongly encourages the professional development of staff, providing support to undertake postgraduate study. Up to 2005, over 830 staff has undertaken postgraduate studies including 320 Ph.D. and 510 MSc.
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- VAAS researchers are also offered access to a wide range of internal and external training opportunities, overseas travel for international conferences and/or study tours. These training and learning experiences have in turn significantly contributed to the development of agricultural science and technology. They have since become some of the most respected professional researchers and administrators.
