Quang Ngai gardeners are in dire straits as durian flowers and fruits fall due to lack of water.

SGGPO 06/17/2023 08:35

Hundreds of hectares of durian trees have lost their leaves, flowers, and young fruit due to the harsh weather, causing many gardeners in the fruit growing area of Nghia Hanh district, Quang Ngai province to suffer.

Hanh Nhan Commune is one of the fruit growing areas of Nghia Hanh District with an area of over 128 hectares, mainly durian. However, this main crop has been experiencing leaf drop, flower drop, and young fruit drop, making gardeners restless.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Cu (Tan Lap village, Hanh Nhan commune) said: “There has never been a year like this year. We have been growing durian for 6-7 years now, but now we are experiencing flower and fruit loss, and the entire garden is ruined. My family planted 95 durian trees on 1 hectare of land. Last year we harvested the first crop, this year we planned to harvest the second crop, but this situation means we have lost everything.”

Quang Ngai gardeners are in dire straits because durian flowers and fruits are falling off due to lack of water photo 1

Mr. Cu is worried when all 95 durian trees have lost flowers and young fruits. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Mr. Vo Duy Chanh (Tan Lap village, Hanh Nhan commune) planted more than 120 durian trees on 1.2 hectares but only 4 trees bore sparse fruit, from 1-4 fruits/tree, the rest all lost flowers and young fruits. Mr. Chanh said: "At the end of May, when the durian trees entered the flowering stage, water regulation was needed, but at this time the weather was stormy in the afternoon with wind, after the rain there was intense sunlight for many days, so the durian trees were both shocked by water and heat, leading to the flowers and fruits falling off completely".

Many garden owners also believe that at the time of pistil bloom, the temperature outside at noon is very hot, in the afternoon there is heavy thunder and lightning and continuous thunderstorms for many days, many times causing heat shock and water shock, causing flowers and young fruits to fall.

Quang Ngai gardeners are devastated because durian flowers and fruits are falling due to lack of water, photo 2

Durian flowers have fallen, leaving only dry branches. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Similarly, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lat's house (Tan Lap village, Hanh Nhan commune) also had more than 50 damaged durian trees...

Most of the specialized areas have been growing durian for the past 6-7 years and are in the first or second fruiting stage. Many garden owners have invested a lot of effort and money in their durian gardens for a long time, but now they see the flowers and fruits falling to the ground, desperately trying to find a way to save them.

Meanwhile, the intense hot weather this June continues to affect crop quality.

Mr. Chanh said: “I spent more than 70 million VND to drill 3 wells, but now only one well has water, enough for drip irrigation to keep the plants moist for an hour before it runs out. This year the dry season is more severe than usual.”

Durian is a fruit tree that requires a lot of investment and care, but this year it was almost completely damaged.

Quang Ngai gardeners are in dire straits because durian flowers and fruits are falling off due to lack of water, photo 3

Durian is grown in Nghia Hanh district. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Mr. Huynh Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hanh Nhan Commune, said: "The prolonged heat and the lack of irrigation water have caused many fruit trees such as durian to fail. In 2022, the district planned to invest in a transformer station to serve irrigation for fruit orchards, but due to difficulties, it has not been implemented yet."

In the whole Nghia Hanh district, there are over 798 hectares of fruit trees, of which more than 100 hectares lack water, causing farmers to lose crops. Of which, Hanh Nhan commune has over 128 hectares of fruit trees, of which 80 hectares lack water for irrigation. In the face of the widespread hot situation, to ensure water for irrigation of crops, the district has directed localities and gardeners to proactively use well water sources and reserve water sources for irrigation. At the same time, it is determined to bring electricity to specialized areas as soon as possible to drill wells and find water sources to combat drought for local specialized fruit gardens.

>>Close-up of durian with drooping leaves, flowers, and young fruit in the specialized growing area of Hanh Nhan commune: