Posted by agri_center | Posted in Fruit and Nuts | Posted on 29-11-2008
Tags: Durian varieties in the Philippines, Philippine Durian Varieties
THE Davao region has been known as the durian capital of the Philippines. The region has, in fact, become synonymous with the durian fruit which many consider to possess such a savory taste that the eater can afford to disregard how it smells.
The region produces at least 16 varieties of durian, eleven of which are registered with the National Seed and Industry Council.
These varieties are grown by the Bureau of Plant and Industry-Philippine Tropical Fruits Research Center (BPI-PhilFruits) in Bago Oshiro, Mintal, Davao City.
BPI-PhilFruits, a research center which specializes in tropical fruits, evaluates varieties of durian before recommending them for registration with NSIC.
Aside from durian, BPI-PhilFruits also studies rambutan, pomelo, mangosteen, mango, banana and lanzones.
Any favorable recommendation is an assurance that the variety is of outstanding quality.
Evaluation process
But the evaluation process on the quality of durian trees is a tedious procedure. BPI personnel go to different areas, usually in places where old durian trees are found, to look for new varieties with potential and bring back a scion (shoot) of the variety to their experimental field for grafting, then planting, marking the start of years of careful evaluation of the fruit.
“Pag lumalabas na maganda, yong character niya galing sa field at yong character nya dito pare-pareho lang o maganda pa, that’s the time na i-three year evaluation ito (If it turns out to be good, its character as found in the field is either replicated here or becomes better, that’s the time that we’ll place it under three-year evaluation) before we recommend for registration as a variety,” said Virgilio Loquias, chief of Fruit Crop Section of BPI-PhilFruits.
One of the criteria used by BPI-PhilFruits in declaring new found durian tree as a variety is its internal quality, specifically the percentage of the fruit’s edible portion.
“The recommendation depends on the result of our internal evaluation. Once the edible portion reaches 25 percent and over, yon maganda yon (it’s of good quality),” Laquias added.
He said some durian fruits they found tasted good, but were thick-skinned and had big seeds, hence not worthy of recommendation. A number of native durian varieties fall under this category, he added. But they’re working on ways on how to improve them.
Aside from the percentage of the edible portion, the yield capacity and resistance to sickness are also considered.
Loquias said the yield capacity of a durian fruit tree, like any other tree, depends on its size.
Durian trees which are about five or six years old may already have 10 to 20 fruits while 10-year-old trees may bear 80 to 100 fruits.
“Masarap nga na durian pero kukunti lang ang bunga, wala rin,” he said.
History of the fruit is also considered. Data are collected from the farmer who introduced the fruit which includes the origin of the tree, the age, latest yield and other indigenous information.
The age, as claimed by the original owner, is important as it gives ideas to BPI personnel on the degree of resistance the tree has to sickness.
The results of the trials will then be submitted to, and evaluated by, a technical working group of BPI-Manila.
The evaluation of results usually run to around six months, Laquias said, adding that all of their recommended varieties get the nod of the technical group.
Durian varieties
One of the two common varieties found at different fruit stands in the city is Arancillo, which is also considered as one of the oldest varieties in Davao City. Arancillo, named after former BPI-PhilFruits director Vicente Arancillo, is considered as the best variety because of its delectable taste.
Found first in Catalunan Grande, Arancillo durian has a 30 percent edible portion but its drawback is its ripe fruits can easily be spoiled during continuous downpour.
The other common durian fruit found in fruit stands is Puyat. Unlike Arancillo, Puyat has a stable character that does not easily get rotten and still tastes luscious even during rainy season, the chief of BPI-PhilFruits Fruit Crop Section says. Its fruit may weigh as much as seven kilos and its tree can bear as many as 100 fruits.
Among the durian trees with high resistance to sickness are Chanee, Monthong, Lacson 1 and 2, and Karnyaw which all originated from Thailand.
Chanee, Loquias said, is the first variety to have spread among durian farmers, and which preceded the Arancillo. Its first fruits, he said, may taste like sweet potato but its sweet taste can be savored in its second and third fruiting.
Monthong, another durian variety, can also be found at BPI-PhilFruits field though only a few farmers are planting it. Loquias said Monthong once became popular but when it bore fruits, they conducted comparative analysis and found that the variety farmers claimed as Monthong was actually Soriano and Obusa durian which have not been recommended by BPI-PhilFruits for failing to meet the criteria set by the research center.
The Soriano durian, which originated from Kapalong, Davao del Norte, looks nice from the outside but when it matures, the bottom part of the fruit tends to rot until it opens up, inviting fruit flies.
Loquias said the Soriano durian tree at BPI-PhilFruits has been there for the past seven years but its fruit quality hasn’t improved despite the care and fertilization they have given to the tree.
As it is Soriano, the Obusa durian tree has been cared for by BPI for more than five years but has not improved.
Though they haven’t recommended Soriano and Obusa durian, some nurseries are mass producing them not knowing where the shoots come from and that they are not of good quality.
“Di alam ng mga nurseries saan galing ang scion nila yon and delikado (Some nurseries did not know where the scions came from, that’s the danger),” said Loquias adding that some people simply go to their field and get some shoots without knowing the quality of the variety.
“Ang binibigay namin yong recommended varieties lang (We only give the recommended varieties),” he added.
The other popular and NSIC registered variety are Lacson 1 and Lacson 2 durian. The two varieties are named after the place where they were found – in Lacson, Calinan. It wasn’t named after the farmer who found it, Loquias said, as he seemed to be reluctant to share information regarding the two varieties.
“It’s not a good example of a farmer. So lugar na lang,” he added.
Another durian with high resistance is Karnyaw which means long stalk in Thai. Karnyaw, which is recommended by BPI-PhilFruits but not registered with NSIC as it’s already a registered variety in Thailand, has been in the market for seven to 10 years but was not identified.
Another registered variety is GD69 (Galang Durian 69, the figure referring to the tree number). GD69, usually bigger compared to other varieties, is one of the most sought-after durian fruits as it has more than 40 percent edible portion. Aside from its generous edible part, GD69 is popular among farmers as it’s an early-bearing variety which produces fruits at age two or three years.
Mamer durian, known among Dabawenyos as native durian, is considered as the best native variety in Calinan. Named after Mamerto Fernandez, Mamer durian with a 25 percent edible portion is common in Barangays Serib and Dumalang in Calinan.
Another Calinan durian which is also registered as a variety with NSIC is Alcon Fancy. But this variety, with thicker flesh and edible portion reaching to 40 percent, rarely turns up in fruit stands as durian lovers usually buy them directly from farms that produce them like Alcon farms in Tugbok.
The other registered durian varieties are Atabrine (native) and Duyaya (Durian and Biyaya) which was named after farmer-scientist Severino Belviz of Calinan.
Duyaya, Loquias said, is a first generation of Monthong.
When a durian seed is planted, Loquias said, it will not yield the same variety as that of the original seed.
“Character talaga nya. Genetics. Nasa buto mismo,” he added.
With asexual propagation, commonly called as grafting, not popular then, several varieties of durian emerged in the city. The new variety then can be brought to the BPI-PhilFruits for evaluation and can even be named after its owner.
The other types of durian not yet in the market but are recommended by BPI-PhilFruits are Malaysian D101, Malaysian D24 and M-Dur 88 which are found sporadically in the Davao region.
Under evaluation is red-prawn variety which came from Balabagan, Lanao del Sur and is considered as a promising durian with red meat. Pink durian from Dulag, Butuan, on the other hand, has not yet yield fruit but was already evaluated. Loquias said they may name it “mestiza” to catch the attention of the consumers.
Another endeavor the BPI-PhilFruits personnel are busy on is improving the quality of thornless durian which weighs as much as two kilos.
Loquias said the thornless durian was planted by former president Diosdado Macapagal in 1965 near one of its offices at BPI-PhilFruits.
“What we wanted to do is improve its quality, get the character of Puyat or Agoncillo [for its taste] but retain its external quality. We can have a friendly durian,” he added.
One of the varieties of durian which Loquias wants farmers to be aware of is Brunei variety. Brunei durian yields only small fruits with two or three seeds and it looks like a sea urchin with sharp thorns close to one another.
Because of its size, it was not recommended to farmers but many fruit growers were persuaded to buy it as sellers told them that Brunei durian is what the King of Brunei loves to eat.
Brunei durian scions found their way to the market when some people from BPI-PhilFruits field gave them to farmers asking for shoots though at that stage, the center’s Brunei durian tree had not yet borne fruit. Loquias said it was sold then for P250 per seedling.
Though it was not recommended for commercialization, Brunei durian tree is used as rootstock for other durian varieties because of its sturdy characteristic that can stand fungus attack and other diseases.
The rootstock, or even the trunk, may be Brunei durian but, through grafting, they’ll implant it with good variety like Agoncillo or Puyat for good yield, Loquias explained.
With eleven registered durian varieties and another five commercialized though not registered categories, durian lovers are indeed given a wide array to choose from.
To durian lovers, Loquias has this advice: “Choose an average size. When you buy durian, don’t base it on the size, kay kung malaki masyado meron kang makitang abnormalities.”
One of which is physiological disorder and uneven fruit ripening known to Dabawenyos as lato.
Written by: Leah P. Bugtay
Source: www.sunstar.com.ph
CHANEE
MON THONG
PUYAT
LACSON UNO
ATABRINE
GD 69
ALCON FANCY
DUYAYA
MAMER