Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI) has cooperated with SEARICE to implement a project on Community Biodiversity Development and Conservation (CBDC) since 1996; this project has covered 19 provinces in Vietnam and linked with the local institutions for supporting farmers. Main activities of the project focused on capacity building in participatory plant breeding by FFS training and on-farm researches by farmers. The CBDC project trained for more 100 local extension workers and 2,685 farmers (2011-2015) in which 73 farmer-breeders. 407 seed clubs were established to produce and contribute good seeds for seed requirement of the Mekong Delta. Farmers have implemented many on-farm researches of doing crosses, seed selections and variety adaptation tests. Farmer-breeders selected and released 328 stable lines for community use; and HD1 and NV1 varieties were certified at national level. Strengthening research capacity for farmers has been a good way to diversify agro-biodiversity for food security and cooperate with the formal seed system for meeting seed requirement in the Mekong Delta. Seed certification system is still a difficult process for farmers who have worked on plant breeding; it should be adjusted to suit and encourage farmer’s contribution and innovation for plant agro-biodiversity development and conservation.

Keywords: Participatory plant breeding, seed certification, farmers, Mekong Delta