By ZAC B. SARIAN
MANILA, Philippines -- When people think of growing fruit trees, the first thing that usually comes to their mind is mango. Our carabao mango variety tastes great when ripened at the proper maturity. So that’s probably the reason why people always want to plant mango.
The problem with mango is that there are lots of problems that confront the grower. And these problems are usually expensive to solve. For one, producing quality mango fruits requires a lot of chemicals. This is because the fruits as well as other parts of the tree are susceptible to diseases, especially anthracnose. There are also insects that damage the leaves and fruits.
In mango, you have to induce flowering with the use of chemicals. And if the flowers are overtaken by rain, they could be totally destroyed by fungus.
Another problem with mango is that the ripe fruits have a short shelf life. Ripe mangoes could be kept for just a few days without refrigeration. On the other hand, pummelo fruits could keep for a month without refrigeration. With cold storage, the fruit could last for six months.
Because of the many problems in mango production, some large plantations in Negros Occidental and Davao del Sur have cut down their mango trees that are at least 15 to 20 years old. Perhaps, the owners have found out too late that producing mangoes requires a lot of expensive inputs.
When people ask us what fruit tree to recommend besides mango, our first choice is pummelo, especially in areas where there is a defined wet and dry season. Pummelo loves the sun but it should be adequately provided with fertilizer (organic or otherwise) and enough moisture, too.
There are of course all kinds of pummelo varieties. There are varieties with superior taste – sweet, juicy and the flesh easily separates from the rind. But there are also many inferior varieties. Some are sour, bitter and the flesh adheres to the rind. You have to choose the best-tasting variety, especially if you plant for commercial purposes.
There are other advantages offered by pummelo over mango. For one, the price of the fruit in the market is higher than mango. In the upscale supermarkets, the going price is P120 per kilo.
One more advantage of pummelo is that it has a shorter gestation period. Commercial production could be attained four years after planting whereas in mango one has to wait seven to eight years before commercial production is achieved.
There are also more trees that can be planted in one hectare. The pummelo could be planted 7 or 8 meters apart whereas in mango the latest recommendation is to plant the trees 12 to 14 meters apart.
Another advantage is that instead of just one harvest, there could be a second harvest within the year for pummelo.
Of course there are also some problems in pummelo. One of them is fruitfly damage. This is serious if no solution is applied. The solution is to bag the fruits. Bagging will also control rind borer damage.
Gummosis is a frequent problem in farms where the trees are not adequately fertilized. This is characterized by the gummy exudates on the trunk and branches. The solution is to scrape the gummy substance and paint the affected parts with fungicide. Also apply complete fertilizer.
Also, one has to learn to apply the right fertilizer at the proper time. For instance, applying too much nitrogen when the fruits have developed midway could result in fruits with thick rind and with poor eating quality. Add micronutrients and more potash to make the fruits sweet and juicy.
Harvest the fruits when they have fully matured. But don’t allow them to overmature on the tree. This could result in dry flesh. After harvesting, the fruits are usually wiped with water with a little fungicide to prevent any fungal growth on the rind. The wiped fruits are then allowed to dry under a roof. The harvested fruits may be aged or kept in storage for at least one week so that they will attain their maximum sweetness.
To make sure that you plant the right variety, buy your planting materials from reliable sources. If possible, you should taste the fruit of the variety you are buying before ordering your planting materials. Planting materials may be grafted, budded or marcotted. Don’t plant seedling trees as the quality of the fruits is not assured. Seedling trees also take a long time to bear fruit. It’s easy to recognize seedling trees. They have a lot of sharp spines.
