Prospects from custard apple trees grown on red soil of Nghia Dan

The custard apple tree model of Mr. Cao Thanh Vinh's family in Son Mong hamlet, Nghia Hieu commune is considered to have high potential, initially bringing a good income to growers of this tree variety.

Through discussion, Mr. Vinh said that this land was previously covered with green from traditional crops such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, corns, etc. but the efficiency was not high.

Realizing the advantage of having a large land area, suitable forfruit tree planting, Mr. Vinh researched and learned from experience and decided to cut down some areas of orange and tangerine trees to invest in planting custard apple trees.

Mr. Cao Thanh Vinh harvests custard apples. Photo: Minh Thai

Joining us on a visit to the fruit-laden custard apple garden, Mr. Cao Thanh Vinh told us: “After the Commune Farmers' Association organized a tour of fruit-growing models in and outside the district, in 2015, I discussed with my family to renovate the garden soil and experimentally plant 110 custard apple trees. After 3 years of planting and caring for them, the trees bore their first fruit, and after deducting expenses, my family earned a profit of 25 million VND. Realizing that this is a crop suitable for the local soil and climate conditions, in 2018, I continued to plant 200 more custard apple trees. From the time of planting to the 3rd year, the custard apple bore its first fruit and the following years were the fruit-harvesting period. Because of the characteristics of custard apples, which ripen sporadically over a few months, custard apple growers are not pressured by labor but also avoid being forced to lower prices by traders. Thanks to the custard apple garden, I have a stable income and have the conditions to improve my life.

Share experiences about planting treeschewyMr. Vinh said: The custard apple tree is very suitable for the climate and soil conditions here, so it grows and develops well. The care technique is also very simple. In addition to the favorable natural factors, growers need to add more fertilizer to the plants and fertilize depending on the age and stage of development of the tree. In particular, it is necessary to add a lot of composted manure and provide enough water for the tree.

In addition, growers must also master the techniques of pruning branches and plucking leaves at the right time so that custard apples can flower and bear fruit. The characteristic of custard apple trees is that they produce many flowers but have a low fruit-bearing rate. If completely dependent on nature, the efficiency and productivity will be low. Therefore, custard apple growers need to master the techniques of artificial pollination for flowers to overcome these limitations. In addition, for pests, especially mealybugs and stem borers; and in the season, fungi and mildew, so we must regularly visit the garden to treat pests.

On an area of ​​0.6 hectares, Mr. Cao Thanh Vinh grows 310 custard apple trees; each custard apple tree in his garden bears 200 - 250 fruits, each fruit weighs 150 - 250g. Photo: Minh Thai

Around mid-November, all the high branches of the custard apple tree will be cut off, leaving the custard apple tree only about 1.5 - 1.8 m high and cutting the branches to make it airy. Thanks to that, the custard apple tree will be able to withstand wind and rain, the fruit will not be crushed by collisions from above; the fruit will be concentrated on the trunk and primary branches; the custard apple tree will also be easier to pollinate and harvest.

Since the beginning of the custard apple harvest season, his family has harvested dozens of times, each time collecting 70 - 100 kg of fruit.

With the early season price of 30 - 35 thousand VND/kg, Mr. Vinh has a considerable income. On average, each custard apple tree in his garden bears 200 - 250 fruits, each fruit weighs 150 - 250g. It is estimated that by the end of the season, with 310 custard apple trees on an area of ​​0.6 hectares, he will harvest 5 - 6 tons of fruit, after deducting expenses, earning over 70 million VND/crop.

Traders come to the garden to buy. Photo: Minh Thai

Mr. Phan Cong Vinh - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghia Hieu Commune added: "In recent years, people have focused on growing long-term crops rather than short-term crops, especially fruit trees, such as custard-apple and avocado trees. Through monitoring and evaluation, some trees have grown very well, such as the custard-apple tree of Mr. Cao Thanh Vinh's family. The Farmers' Association of the commune also regularly visits and exchanges on techniques, and takes this model as a point to replicate for other households to increase income"./.