INTRODUCTION

Durian is one of the most controversial fruits. Dubbed King of Fruits, durian is famous for tasting like heaven and smelling like hell. According to Alexander Hamilton (Scottish Sea Captain 1689-1723) The Durian is an excellent fruit, but offensive to some peoples noses, for it smells very like human excrement, but when once tasted, the smell vanishes. The fruits taste is delicate, sweet-acid, and the pulp seems to melt in the mouth. But it leaves the same sort of aftertaste as chewing on a whole clove-of garlic. English novelist Anthony Burgess, in fact, has said that dining on durian is a lot like eating vanilla custard in a latrine. The smell of the inside of the durian is so strong that some hotels bar guests from bringing it into their hotel room. It can be smelled from yards away. Apparently this fruit is notorious for its bad smell, to the point where it is actually banned in some public places. But durian lovers 1 and there are many, at least in Asia 1 are convinced that like fine French cheeses, the worse the smell, the better the taste. The durian is high in fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins. The durian is also said to have heating qualities, which keep its eaters warm at night. Durian is not recommended for consuming with alcoholic beverages, as the combination of natural substances is a powerful producer of internal gas. Durian is probably one of the most nutritious fresh fruit. Its also rumored that durian is a tonic to the lungs and digestive system.HISTORY OF DURIAN

The Durian is a fruit formed by the Malvaceae, a plant which is in the same family as the hibiscus, okra, and cotton tree family. This fruit is widely known and used in Southeast Asia. The Asians consider this to be the ?King of Fruits? because of its distinctive size, odour, and husk. You may be surprised to learn that the Durian was named to mean ?thorny fruit.? There are actually thirty species of the Durio in Southeast Asia although only nine of these species are edible. The Durian is a nutty sweet fruit and the outer portion of the fruit is a thorny husk with a meaty inside. The Durian is rich with history and legends. Part of the history of this fruit includes a quote from Alfred Russell Wallace, a British naturalist in 1856. He said the fruit was custard in colour with an almond flavour. If you go back even further you will find that during prehistoric times in Southeast Asia this fruit to be consumed by the native people. From the prehistoric age references in the 15th century on through to the 1700's it is possible to tell that there has been interest in this particular fruit. A German botanist provided some of the most accurate descriptions of the fruit and its tastes. He also created the taxonomy of the genius Durio for later generations. We now see this fruit mostly in Southeast Asia or in botanical gardens where the genus has been introduced for education purposes. In fact the first seedlings to arrive in England came in 1884 to the Botanic Gardens. Some common uses of the Durian fruit include milkshakes, Yule Logs, cappuccinos, rice, and other Asian dishes. It will depend upon the type of Durian that is used for the different items listed. Some are not available to eat, but others can be used to make dishes like Tempoyak.

There are many different theories on what may or may not occur as a result of eating the fruit. Of the studies conducted in the past, and those to dissuade the thoughts of today, the studies have been found to be inconclusive.

The legends may be unsubstantiated, but we know that there are rich vitamins and other properties contained in the fruit to make it worthy of a diet, even if it is high in carbohydrates.VARITIES OF DURIAN1. Native This is the original durian of the country and refers to uncultivated trees. It usually has white flesh but can also have yellow. It has the strongest taste out of all the durian and preferred by many, if not for the price. Since it has larger seeds and thinner flesh, its more expensive to buy.

2. Graveolens Native to Palawan, the gravoleon can also be found in Davao. It has a thick, heavy flesh that comes in three colorsred, yellow, and orange. They have an odor thats even more pungent than regular durians. The red flesh tastes nutty and the yellow one is creamier.

3. Thornless Distinguished by its lack of thorns, which is one of the recognizable characteristics of durian, the thornless durian is a white-fleshed kind that tastes similar to the native variant. It can weigh as much as two kilos.

4. Mamer This is a native durian that is named after Mamerto Fernandez. Its called a native durian by the Dabaweyos. The mamer is the best native variety in Calinan, and it has a twenty-five percent edible portion. It has a yellow flesh thats sweet and sticky.

5. Arancillo The Arancillo is named after former Bureau of Plant Industries (BPI) Philfruits director Vicente Arancillo who discovered it. Its actually a seedling of the Thai Chanee. It has a thick flesh with a smooth texture and has a strong flavor. For many Dabawenyos, this is their preferred variety. However it rots easily during the rainy season.

6. Puyat Puyat has yellow-orange flesh with a bittersweet taste. Its one of the larger durians, since the fruits can weigh up to seven kilos. And the tree can bear up to one hundred fruits. Its also a seedling of the Thai Chanee and was brought to the Philippines in the 70s. Unlike the Arancillo, it doesnt rot easily and its more preferred by farmers for cultivation.

7. Duyaya The name is a portmanteau of Durian na Biyaya, named by the Durian King Severino Belviz. It has a thick, bright yellow flesh thats sweet and has a milder aroma. The edible portion is around 30%.

8. Alcon Fancy This has a thick flesh in bright yellow, with an edible portion of about 40%. It has a sweet taste with slight bitterness and a mild smell. Despite the high edible portion, Alcon Fancy is rarely sold among street vendors since most people who like its taste buy directly from the farms where its supplied.

USES OF DURIAN

Durian fruit is used to flavour a wide variety of sweet edibles such as traditional Malay candy, ice kacang, dodol, lempuk, rose biscuits, and, with a touch of modern innovation, ice cream, milkshakes, mooncakes, Yule logs, and cappuccino. Es durian (durian ice cream) is a popular dessert in Indonesia, sold at street side stall in Indonesian cities, especially in Java. Pulut Durian or ketan durian is glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk and served with ripened durian. In Sabah, red durian is fried with onions and chilli and served as a side dish. Red-fleshed durian is traditionally added to sayur, an Indonesian soup made from freshwater fish. Ikan brengkes is fish cooked in a durian-based sauce, traditional in Sumatra. Traditionally Bollen pastry, specialty of Bandung is filled with banana and cheese. Today Bollen durian is also available, it is pastry filled with durian. Dried durian flesh can be made into kripik durian (durian chips).

Tempoyak refers to fermented durian, usually made from lower quality durian that is unsuitable for direct consumption. Tempoyak can be eaten either cooked or uncooked, is normally eaten with rice, and can also be used for making curry. Sambal Tempoyak is a Sumatran dish made from the fermented durian fruit, coconut milk, and a collection of spicy ingredients known as sambal.

In Thailand, durian is often eaten fresh with sweet sticky rice, and blocks of durian paste are sold in the markets, though much of the paste is adulterated with pumpkin.[42] Unripe durians may be cooked as a vegetable, except in the Philippines, where all uses are sweet rather than savoury. Malaysians make both sugared and salted preserves from durian. When durian is minced with salt, onions and vinegar, it is called boder. The durian seeds, which are the size of chestnuts, can be eaten whether they are boiled, roasted or fried in coconut oil, with a texture that is similar to taro or yam, but stickier. In Java, the seeds are sliced thin and cooked with sugar as a confection. Uncooked durian seeds are toxic due to cyclopropene fatty acids and should not be ingested.

Young leaves and shoots of the durian are occasionally cooked as greens. Sometimes the ash of the burned rind is added to special cakes. The petals of durian flowers are eaten in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia, while in the Moluccas islands the husk of the durian fruit is used as fuel to smoke fish. The nectar and pollen of the durian flower that honeybees collect is an important honey source, but the characteristics of the honey are unknown.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF DURIAN The durian, Durio zibethinus Murr. is considered the most popular fruit in West Malaysia, where the crop is estimated to occupy no less than 18.5% of the area under fruits (ANON, 1984). Despite its socio-economic importance, the current scenario of local durian cultivation is still beset with many problems, especially that related to season and seasonality of production. Whilst it must be admitted that there exists a large number of high quality durian clones in a country, the performance of these varieties is scarcely reported. This is especially true in terms of yield performance over time and environment. Lack of such reports could be attributed to the long time required to accomplish such investigations.

So far, more than 80 durian clones have been registered in the country since the early 'thirties (ANON, 1980). From this list, a handful were recommended for general planting based on fruit quality alone. Yield performance and stability are either assumed or based on limited evaluation. Nevertheless, many of these recommendations, though from pre-war era, had continued to be important today e.g. D24, D2, D10 etc.

The MARDI durian collection in Serdang was initiated in 1972 and consisted, at the onset, of a duplication of the clonal materials of the Department of Agriculture. Later, more additions were made to the collection from various local and introduced sources. Clonal characterization and evaluation constitute an important aspect of work in the collection. It is aimed at understanding the extent of variability for future manipulation in crop improvement as well as providing information for selection of promising materials.

The present paper reports the results of an eight-season study on the fruiting behaviour of 42 clones in the MARDI durian collection. It describes the extent of genetic variation in fruiting characteristics of the population over eight seasons. The paper also discusses how such variability could be successfully exploited to increase fruit availability by increasing the number of seasons as well as extending the period of each season. Some socio-economic implications of these findings are also highlighted.

LAND PREPARATION OF DURIAN

SOILS:Durian prefers deep, well-drained loamy soils not less than 1.5m deep. Soil pH about 5.0-6.5. It grows very well on gently sloping land (slope 6-12) and foothills. Durian does not perform well if elevation is higher than 600-900m above sea level. The durian cannot stand waterlogged conditions and is vulnerable to wind damage during storms and typhoons and requires protection.TEMPERATURE: Durian is native to the tropics, and needs an environment that is hot (24-32C) and moist with 75-80% humidity. It will not grow when mean daily temperatures drop below 22C.

RAINFALL: It requires an annual rainfall of 1500mm or more. Because the durian root system is very shallow (< 30cm), supplementary irrigation is very necessary for all stages of plant growth.DRY WEATHER: For matured trees, durian requires a dry spell of about 1 to 2 months for flowers to initiate and develop fully. Four weeks after the flowers bloomed, the tree must receive just enough water for proper fruit development. Too much water will cause the tree to bear new leaves at the expense of the fruits.IRRIGATION: Young durian trees are very susceptable to drought and high mortality can be avoided with proper irrigation. Trees that received irrigation are more vigorous and will begin to bear fruits much earlier usually at 5-6 years.

PREPARATION OF PLANTING MATERIALS OF THE DURIAN

1. Select fully developed seeds from mature/ripe fruits of the recommended varieties.

2. Germinate the seeds in seed box or seedbed with coir dust as germination medium.

3. Prick seedlings 9-12 days after germination to 7 x 11 x .004 plastic bags and place them in nursery shed.

4. Water them immediately after planting in polyethylene bags. Then water 2 to 3 days thereafter or as the need arises.

5. Seedlings are ready for grafting at 21-30 days old using hypocotyls grafting; epicotyl side grafting for 2-4 months old; and cleft grading for 5-7 months.

6. Reduce nursery shade and increase from 30% to about 70% of full sunlight two month after pricking and harden them 2 week before field planting.

7. Workshed: The workshed of 6 m x 4.5 m with thatch roofs and locally available materials like bamboo, wood, etc. may be constructed. Total amount of Rs.6750/- @ Rs.250 per sq.m. has been considered for this purpose.

8. Polyhouse: The polyhouse of 9 m x 4 m dimension with 90 cm, brick wall, 3.6 m tall rhombus netting with expanded metal and polythene roof supported by local materials like bamboo, wood and planks, may be constructed. The cost estimated for such a house is approximately Rs.300.00 per sq.m. An additional lumpsum amount of Rs.2000.00 may be considered for construction of wooden racks inside the poly house.

9. Store-cum-office: A store-cum-office of 6.0 m x 4.5 m constructed with locally available materials may serve the purpose. For this, a rate of Rs. 350/- per sq.m. has been considered adequate.

10. Fencing: A goat proof fencing only will be effective for a nursery. For this model of 0.5 acre area, an amount of Rs.16250.00 has been considered as the total cost for erecting a goat-proof fencing around the boundary.

WEEDING AND FERTILIZATION Regular weeding should be done to eliminate competition for water and nutrients. Thick undergrowth under the canopy of trees will also increase relative humidity near the trunk which favors the reproduction of pathogens. To avoid injury to the roots, the soil should not be scraped. Weeds below the canopy can be totally eliminated by hand pulling.

In addition, the formulation of a fertilizer management program is important in growing durian. The program should ensure the vigor of trees with sustained capacity to produce quality fruits.

Fertilizers should be applied based on soil analysis. In the absence of soil analysis, 50 g of complete fertilizer may be applied during planting. The rate of fertilizer is correspondingly increased with the age of the plants, to be applied during the onset of the rainy season and when it is about to end. Otherwise, fertilization can be done periodically in 2-4 applications per year. Ring weeding should be done before fertilization.

To ensure a steady supply of micronutrients, it is desirable to incorporate the application of organic feritlizers with the fertilization program. Based on the number and average weight of fruits per tree, the amounts of urea (46-0-0), complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and muriate of potash (0-0-60) to be applied per tree have been calculated. A tree with a fruiting potential of 25 fruits each weighing 2 kg or a total of 50 kg needs fertilizer at the rate of 206 kg 46-0-0, 143 kg 14-14-14 and 308 kg 0-0-60 which is increased to 1652 kg, 1142 kg and 2466 kg, respectively, for a tree that produces 200 fruits weighing a total of 400 kg.

PEST & DISEASE CONTROL OF DURIANA. Stem borer (Batocera sp., Xyleutes sp.) Attack by making a hole in the trunk, branches, or twigs. Symptoms of wilting plants, the leaves dry and fall off eventually. Control; sanity garden, cut and destroy the stems, branches, or twigs are badly attacked, the former cover the hole with cotton gerekan given PESTONA + NASA POC or sprayed.

2. Fruit borer (Tirathaha sp., Dacus dorsalis) Symptoms of wormy fruit will rot and eventually fall out. Spray from the start with PESTONA or pentane + AERO 810 from 1-week-old fruit, Use Natural METILAT trap.

3. White ticks (Pseudococus sp.) This pest attacks by sucking fluids as carriers of disease and can be sooty and aided the spread of the ants. Symptoms of attack and miserable curly leaves, flowers and fruit that can fall out. Spray PESTONA or pentane + AERO 810 in turn.

4. Leaf caterpillar (Papilia sp., Setora sp., Lymatria sp.) The third attack by caterpillars eating the leaves so perforated and broken. Spray PESTONA or pentane + AERO 810 in turn.

5. Cancer stem (Phytophthora palmivora)

Symptoms of the injuries that remove the red slime on the bottom of the bark near the ground. After the stem rot, the tops of the plants will dry, the leaves wither and fall off, and eventually die. Sanitation control with a garden, plant spacing widens, suppress weeds, pruning, planting early before GLIO Natural distribute or apply on the wound rod and then cover with paraffin, scrape up brown stems attacked by invisible then spray PESTONA + NASA POC.

6. The root rot disease (fungus Fusarium sp.)

If split, the part of the cortex will appear in brown and woody parts will appear in pink with brown spots. Plants attacked and burned and destroyed the former planting hole sprinkled with lime + Natural GLIO, fix the drainage system as well as from the beginning to use Natural GLIO as a precaution.

7. Leaf spotting diseases (fungus Colletotrichum sp.)

Symptoms of dry spots on the leaves of plants which eventually perforated. Cut the leaves attacked, spray Natural GLIO + NASA POC use as a preventative fungicide with active copper.

8. Fungus diseases Upas (pink disease) The emergence of yellow liquid on the rod fell ill and was covered with threads of shiny colored mushroom shaped like a spider so that the cause of death in the trunk. Cut off the infected, reduce humidity, Apply Natural GLIO + NASA POC in the affected or copper fungicide with active.9.Penyakit White Root (JamurRigodoporus lignosus) Leaves yellow and then brown before eventually shrivel and fall. Remove all host plants of the garden area, use the Natural GLIO as a precaution.

10. Fruit rot disease (fungus Phytophthora sp.) Symptoms of wet patches on the skin is brown-black fruit, then attacked the rotten and the mycelium and sporangia formed white. Use Natural GLIO before planting as a preventative measure, garden sanitation.

Note: If the control of pests and diseases with natural pesticides have not been overcome, can be used as a last alternative to chemical pesticides is recommended. In order to spray more evenly and not easily lost by rain water add Grader wetting adhesive AERO 810 0.5 doses per tank lid.HARVESTING AND HANDLING THE DURIAN

Durian trees when properly maintained can bear fruit as early as 5 years old. Characteristics of mature fruit are change in the color of the pericarp to yellowish green or brown, dull and hollow sound when tapped, strong aroma, very pliable spine, and very distinct suture. Fruits are either picked by hand (leaving 2-3 cm stem). Durian fruits when mature and ripe fall from trees at night. Harvest time is different depending on the type of varieties. Types Monthong approximately 125-135 days after anthesis, the type chanee approximately 110-116 days after anthesis. Durian perfect maturity level 4 months after the flowers bloom. Time quotes by physical signs, such as edge of thorns dark brown, the lines between the spines is more clear, soft and easy fruit stalk is bent, the joints swell the fruit stalk, fragrant smell, sound resonates rough and if the fruit had been beaten. Way to reap the harvest or cut the fruit in a tree or pole with a knife blade. Section cut is the fruit stalk near the base of the stem and fruit durian try not to fall due to reduced fruit quality.GRADING AND STORING Immature, undersized, and damaged fruits are sorted from clean fruits. Fruits are then graded as to the variety, size, weight, or diameter. The fruits are packed in bamboo baskets or crates lined with newspapers for protection during transport. Hand picked fruits have 5 to 7 days shelf-life while fallen fruits has 2 to 3 days.

Bottom of Form

MARKETING THE DURIAN Commercial production of durian is concentrated in Thailand (900,000 to 950,000 tonnes) followed by Malaysia (400,000 tonnes) and Indonesia (200,000 tonnes). It is also grown in The Philippines and other ASEAN nations but at much smaller levels. The marketing period of durian is affected by short harvest seasons, only two to three months usually from May -August each year. Most durian produced is consumed locally while only a small percentage is exported. Thailand is the largest exporter of fresh and frozen durian with 1997 exports of 78,500 tonnes or 10% of its total production. Malaysia exports a relatively small amount to Singapore and Brunei. The production in Indonesia , the Philippines and Brunei is not sufficient to meet domestic demand , thus imports from Malaysia and Thailand are necessary. The major export market is Asia. Specifically China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunei. China, Taiwan and Hong Kong prefer the edible or soft ripe durians with a mild aroma, thus imports are mostly from Thailand. Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines love the overripe fruit. The worldwide exporters and importers

Thailand cultivated the most durian, up to 338,000 acres, producing about 900,000 to 950,000 tonnes in 1996. The harvesting and marketing periods are from April to October with the peak in May. Approximately 85% of the harvest is domestically consumed fresh, with 10% exports and the remaining 5% processed.

Malaysia has a cultivated area of 160,000 acres, producing about 400,000 tonnes which are mainly produced in Perak and Johor states. The harvesting time is between June- September annually. Most of the strains are local and wild varieties; small with a thick husk and large seeds. Although most production is consumed domestically, there are some exports to neighboring countries such as Singapore and Brunei.

Because of the different time of harvesting seasons among the durian growing countries, Malaysia still needs to import durian from Thailand to supply domestic demand especially in April-May before the harvesting season of Malaysian durian.

Hong Kong. Durian is a favorite among Hong Kong Residents no less than longan because they consider it as a medicine to give heat to the body. Hong Kong prefers edible or soft ripe durian thus most of consumption is supplied from Thailand. The annual amount of domestic demand is estimated around 5,000 - 10,000 tonnes, of which 90% is supplied by imports from Thailand and the remainder from Malaysia.

Taiwan. Most domestic demand is met by imports from Thailand. Taiwan is the largest destination of half of fresh durian exported from Thailand or 36,000 tonnes in 1997. The consumer prefers good quality durian, Monthong is believed to be the best eating quality , so most imports are Monthong followed by Chanee.

Singapore. Singaporeans like to consume the overripe fruit like Malaysians. Normally Singapore imports 25,000 tonnes of fresh durian mostly from Malaysia and Thailand. Malaysia accounts for 80% of the total imports. Thailand supplies 20% of total imports during April - May before the harvesting season of Malaysian durian.

China. China is becoming an important import market with high potential due to the large population with an increasing income. Thailand supplies most of the domestic demand. The import channel from Thailand is made via Hong Kong with an estimate that 85% of its export to Hong Kong was re - exported to China or the equivalent of 20,000-25,000 tonnes in 1997. ationFertilization can be done at any time regardless of the season.