How to make delicious durian: Experience from gardeners

Lam Dong province is closely monitoring exported durian products.

Worry about bad weather

In early July, farmers in Lam Dong province are rushing to harvest durian. However, many gardeners are worried because at this time, the area is entering the peak of the rainy season, causing many durian gardens to be at risk of hard rice and water, affecting the selling price of farmers. Faced with this situation, the Lam Dong Department of Agriculture , production and purchasing units and farmers have taken many measures to ensure the quality of durian.

Mr. Doan Van Thanh's family in Quang Tin commune has more than 14 hectares of durian for business. Previously, Mr. Thanh relied mainly on experience in cultivating durian. Garden design, planting distance, drainage ditches, and pest prevention were not guaranteed. According to Mr. Thanh, in previous years, most gardeners dug deep holes to plant durian. Not far away, right in their own gardens, when they found out, it was too late. It was the deep planting holes that turned into puddles after the rain, causing the trees to absorb too much water, thereby seriously affecting the quality of the fruit. "When the tree is growing fruit, if the rainwater is not controlled, the fruit flesh will be mushy and hard. That is a painful lesson from previous years," Mr. Thanh shared.

According to Mr. Thanh's experience, when the orchard has been growing fruit for about 110 days, if the tree develops many new shoots, the gardener needs to block the shoots so that the tree can grow fruit. Especially at the stage of ripening, if the shoots are not blocked, it is easy for the rice to be bitter and the segments to not turn yellow.

According to Mr. Pham Tan Minh - Lam Dong Agricultural Extension Center, besides the impact of weather, the fertilization process also greatly affects the quality of durian fruit. Improving the health of the plant through providing potassium sulfate and adjusting the amount of nitrogen will help the fruit develop stably and evenly, avoiding the condition of hard flesh.

Mr. Nguyen Duc - owner of a durian purchasing facility in Quang Khe commune said that every year in the locality, the rate of durians that do not meet quality standards is very high, mainly due to the influence of the weather. The facility's purchase of "drifting goods" not only causes damage to farmers but also reduces the value of the product. "Every day, I order containers of "drifting goods" durian, not to mention the gardeners who bring in 5-10 quintals to sell. The purchase price ranges from 10,000 - 20,000 VND/kg. This purchase price is much lower than that of durians with good quality and beautiful appearance", Mr. Duc said.

Fix durian with hard flesh

Mr. Pham Tan Minh - Lam Dong Agricultural Extension Center recommends that to prevent durian from being hard, farmers need to manage nutrition, water and harvest at the right time. Fertilize in balance, ensure good drainage and harvest at the right time to increase crop efficiency. The next step is to take care of the soil and nutrition. The soil for growing durian must be loose, well-drained and rich in nutrients. Applying organic fertilizer combined with chemical fertilizer in the right dosage and time helps the tree grow healthily, produce uniform and good quality fruit.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van Hau, who has been working with Lam Dong durian trees for many years, limiting the appearance of new shoots and stimulating simultaneous flowering by spraying specialized fertilizers on the leaves will be very effective. Not only will it reduce competition for nutrients, but it will also help the fruit ripen evenly, bringing the characteristic flavor of local durian. “Managing humidity and creating good ventilation in the garden are all the secrets to having quality durian. By fertilizing properly and adding micronutrients, gardeners can limit the burning of segments, bringing the best results for the season,” Associate Professor, Dr. Hau affirmed.

Currently, Lam Dong province has over 42,000 hectares of durian, with a harvest area of over 20,000 hectares and an output of over 200,000 tons/year. The whole province currently has 334 durian export growing area codes with 12,966.7 hectares and 57 durian packaging facility codes.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/lam-gi-de-sau-rieng-thom-ngon-kinh-nghiem-tu-nha-vuon-383878.html