National Durian Vol. 14

“Durian trees are generally weak and have low immunity once the fruits have been harvested. Therefore, post – harvested durian trees are at a very vulnerable state as they are exposed to pathogens which may cause various diseases,” said Wong Xiao Gou, who has years of experience in durian cultivation. Wong Xiao Gou emphasises on the simple yet considerably overlooked process of fertilizing as the secret to his continuously successful harvests. Wong Xiao Gou’s orchard is located in Machap, Johor. It covers an area of about 4 acres which is considerably small in size. It is jointly managed by him and his wife. Due to its flat terrain, tasks such as applying pesticides and fertilising can be easily completed by the couple. “Previously, the orchard was equipped with an irrigation…

“I usually apply organic fertiliser and fertiliser with high phosphorus content on the ground,” he said. Organic fertiliser tremendously improves the quality of soil. As for high phosphorus content fertiliser, Wong Xiao Gou believes that it has a positive effect on the germination of flowers. However, too much phosphorus may cause the quality of durians to dwindle. Therefore, Wong Xiao Gou is very careful in applying high-phosphorus content fertilisers during the fruit-bearing period. He pays close attention to his durian trees before he decides on how much to use according to the tree’s overall well – being. He believes that high phosphorus content is the key to harvesting 80% of his durians. Wong Xiao Gou prefers water soluble fertilisers and the ground is often mixed with foliar fertilizer. PROPER LIQUID…

Robin’s orchard, which covers an area of 2.5 acres and has more than 60 durian trees is located in Pagoh, Johor. “As long as you personally take care of the durian trees, anyone with orchards in any area can get profitable returns,” he said. The number of trees in his durian orchard may seem like a handful. However, these seemingly less trees have produced a good amount of yield to allow him to earn a considerable amount of income. The main durian varieties that Robin grows are Fu Ming 13, Musang King, 101 and Red Prawn (D175). The durian trees that he owns are about 20 years old and are able to produce a steady amount of durian every season. This allows him to harvest a significant amount of fruit…

Generally, pests that invade durian trees use their antennae; parts of their mouth, feet or abdomen to detect chemical substances emitted from food to identify their host so that they can feed on and lay their eggs. Therefore, the sensory system of pests can be blocked by the membrane formed by mineral oil to prevent them from identifying a host. In addition, regular application of mineral oil-based insecticides can also form a protective film on the entire surface of the durian trees which greatly reduces the chances of pests feeding and laying eggs. Mineral oil could also create an environment that is unsuitable for pests and change their mating behaviour. This can effectively reduce the number of pests. Compared to other durian farmers, he is fully responsible for all the…

ORIGIN THE PULP OF THE MILK KING DURIAN IS WHITE IN COLOR WITH A MILKY FLAVOR. WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THAT IT DOESN’T TASTE SWEET. THUS, IT SUITS THE TASTE BUDS OF SOME CHINESE DURIAN ENTHUSIASTS. DUE TO THIS, IT IS ALSO LOVED BY MALAYSIANS AND SINGAPOREAN CHINESE. According to a Johorean farmer, Ho Yih Yong, this variety was first grown in the country by Singaporeans, and then 30-40 years ago by Ho Yih Yong himself. Ho Yih Yong’s father brought these durians back to Simpang Renggam, Johor, Malaysia from Singapore to cultivate them. Therefore, it is believed that Ho Yih Yong’s father was the first farmer in Malaysia to cultivate the Milk King durian variety. The high-quality Milk King is both glutinous and fleshy. Its trees usually bear bunches of…

Lately, the Tupai King (D214) durian variety has been the talk of the town. In fact, there has been an upsurge in the cultivation of this particular variety in various parts of Malaysia. The Tupai King durian variety originates from Penang and it has had a good reputation among local durian enthusiasts for several years. However, the output of this variety is still scarce. Not to mention the fruit, even the grown-up Tupai King tree is rare to spot for ordinary people. So, why is such a rare durian variety suddenly stirring up strong market attention? This is all due to a tinge of “bluish grey” shade of flesh. Usually, durians with this shade are considered to be produced by very old durian trees and the taste is often bitter…