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Home , Durian, Fruit tree

Q Large – 90-130’ (27-40m) tall – Erect and pyramidal – Rough peeling bark King of Tropical Tropical - Texas A&M University

Flowers Q Cymose clusters Q Cymose clusters Q Large flowers – 3-50 flowers – Noctural flowering – Leafless nodes 1 inch Q Fragrant with 1 inch – Mature branches 2.5 cm Q and moths 2.5 cm Q Large flowers – Range of self incompatibility

Q Selfed fruit set - 1%

Q Crossed pollinated fruit set - up to 60%

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Fruit borne on old branches Fruit is large

Q Size – Up to 18 lbs (8 kg) – 6-12” (15-20cm) long – 5-6” (12-15 cm) wide Q Rind – Stout, sharp spines – Handle with gloves

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1 Fruit is odoriferous Origin of Durian but delicious

Q – “Garlic, Limburger cheese and some spicy sort of ” – Some odorless culitvars Q Flesh – Soft custard-like texture Originated in – “concotion of , and onions, , and ” – People become fanatics in their enthusiasm for the durian

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Adaptation: Tropical lowland tree Adaptation: Tropical lowland tree (best within 12° from equator) (best within 12° from equator)

Q Temperature Q Moisture – Ideal 27-30C – 75-80% relative humidity – Usually lower than 600 m (2000’) – 1,500 to 2,500 mm per year – Tolerate high temperatures – 9 to 11 wet months Q Up to 46 C (121 F) – Flowers after the dry season – Defoliate if below 10 C (50 F) Q Soil – Deep alluvial or loamy soil

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Production Propagation

Q Mainly produced in Asia Q propagation – - 380,000 MT – Short period of viability – - 750,000 MT – Seedling are variable – - 230,000 MT – Begin to fruit in 5 to 21 years (9-12) Q Clonal propagation – Rooting of cuttings and air layering is poor – Patch budding, fruit in 3-4 years

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2 Planting Fruiting

Q Fruit Q Spacing – 3.5 to 4.5 months to develop – 30-40’ (9-12m) apart Q Harvest season depends on Q Precocity weather patterns – Grafted - 3 to 4 years – Flowers after the dry season – Seedlings - 9 to 12 years is common – One or two peak harvests per year – Most varieties ripen with 6-10 weeks causing an abundance of fruit

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Harvesting Marketing Q Fresh fruit is highly Q Yields perishable – 5-7 MT/ha – 5 to 6 days Q Harvest techniques Q Products – Pick before fall – Fresh fruit – Pick up fallen fruit Q Whole or in segments Q Rural areas – Dried for local use Q Falling can and export cause injury – Canned in syrup

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Plant Q Tree – Short trunk – Many branched Oxalidaceae – 20-30’ (6-9m) Averrhoa Q Leaves – Compound carambola

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3 Fruit

Flowers Q Oval or elliptical Q Yellow or pale golden Q Small brown Q 3-5 “ long Q White or purplish Q 3-5 longitundinal ribs Q Short racemes Q Clear watery pulp Q Flavor – Astringent when green – Sour to mildly sweetish when ripe – “Sweet” types have 4-9 brix – Aroma like

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Origin of Carambola Production

Q Asian production – – Southern China

Originated in – Taiwan and the Moluccas Q Florida Cultivated in Southeast – Recent increase in production Asia and Malaysia for centuries

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Adaptation Propagation

Q Tropical-subtropical – Short periods of 27F (-2.8C) Q Widely done by seed Q Moisture – Viable for only a few days – Need even distribution of rain – Seedlings are variable – - best if 70” (1800 mm) Q Clonal propagation Q Soil – Air layering - slow – Can grow in wide range of soils – Various techniques – Good drainage needed – Sensitive to waterlogging

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4 Planting Harvesting

Q Harvest multiple times per year Q Spacing Harvest multiple times per year – 20-30 ‘ (6-9m) – Malaysia - all year round – India - Sept-Oct and Dec-Jan Q Precocity – Florida - Nov-Dec and Mar-April – Grafted trees fruit within 10 months Q For shipping pick pale-green with touch of yellow Q Yield – 100 - 300 lbs (45-135 kg)/tree

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Uses

Q Fresh consumption – Out-of-hand – In salads – As garnish Q Used in cooking in Asia – Puddings and tarts Leguminosae – Stews and Puddings Tamarindus Q Health concerns – High levels of oxalic acid (0.5 mg/100 mL juice) indica – Inhibit Calcium absorption

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Plant Flowers

Q Slow growing – Inconspicuous large tree – Inch wide – 80-100’ – 5 (24-30m) tall – Spread of 40’ – Small racemes (12m) Q Wind resistant

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5 Q Pods, irregularly curved – 5-10 cm (2-4”) Origin of Tamarind – Grayish brown with 1-10 brown seed – Pulp - brown and sticky B efore 4th C entury BC

Native to savannas of Africa

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Origin Production

Q Savannas of tropical Africa Savannas of tropical Africa Q Major producing countries – Grows wild throughout Sudan – Americas

Q Moved to India long ago Q Mexico - 4,000 ha – Often reported as native to India Q Belize Q Guatemala – Well known in Egypt and Greece in Q Northern Brazil the 4th century BC – Asia Q Introduced into tropical America Q India - 250,000 MT much before 1800 Q Northern Malaysia

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Adaptation Propagation

Q Native to tropical savannas of Africa Q Soil Q Traditionally – Tolerates a diversity of soils – Seed planted in the field in place – Withstands salt spray – Good drainage essential Q More recently Q Temperature – Seedlings grown in nursery – Older trees can survive light freezes – Lowland tropics (up to 600 m) Q Future Q Moisture – Rooted cuttings – Dry weather essential during fruit development – Grafting

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6 Planting Fruiting Q Spacing Q Fruit development – 33-65’ (10-20m) - depends on soil fertility – 203 days until begin to dehydrate Q Precocity – Full ripeness at 245 days – Begin to fruit in 4-5 years in Mexico – 50% previous moisture content – In India it may take 10-14 years Q Harvest Q Productive life – Can leave for another 6 months – 50-60 years – Dry down to 20% moisture – After this productivity declines – May live to 200 years Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University

Harvesting Uses of Tamarind

Q Yield Q Main product is the seed pulp – 330 to 500 lbs (150-225 kg) fruit/tree – Ingredient in chutneys, , Q Fruit composition sauces….. – Pulp 30-55% – Sugared into confection – Shells and fiber 11 - 30% – Drinks – 33-40% Q Seeds Q Preservation – Can be eaten – Shelled – Various industrial uses – Preserved in sugar or salt Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University

Homework Any Questions? (15 points)

Q Find food products that use the following – oil – – Q Need to find 5 items for full credit Q Due on Monday, November 3rd

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7 HORT 400 – Field studies in Tropical Horticulture

Spring Break 2004

Leave Sunday March 14th

Flight leaves from and returns to Houston

Travel in Nicaragua or Guatemala to visit Tropical Plantations – sugar cane, coffee, cacao, pitaya, , bananas, plantains, pineapple, coconut, oil palm and others – and tropical crop farmer’s market. Experience the culture in the area.

Return Saturday March 20th

Estimated costs

Transportation Airfare - $650 $650 Bus - $20/person/day x 7 days $140

Lodging Hotels - $40/person/day (2/room) x 6 $240

Food $10-25/day (paid as you go) ($70-$175)

Admission charges and other fees Entrance visa $5 Airport tax $30

Insurance $20? Coordination fee (10% transportation/lodging) $100

TOTAL COST $1,360

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