Unfavorable weather, Dak Lak durian faces difficulties

Flowers bloom unevenly, young fruit falls in large numbers

In Cuôr Đăng commune (Cư M'gar district), Mrs. H'Yim Nie sighed as more than 500 durian trees only bloomed sporadically. "This year, only about 80% of the trees bloomed, many trees did not bloom at all. My family took good care of them, watered, fertilized, and treated them to bloom properly, but we were still helpless," Mrs. H'Yim shared.

Durian is a crop that is sensitive to climate change, especially during the flowering and fruiting stages.

Not only Mrs. H'Yim's family, many farmers in Buon Ho town, Krong Pak district, Ea H'leo, Krong Nang... are also facing the situation of flowers blooming sporadically in many batches. The first rain of the season occurs when the trees are "growing crab eyes", causing flower buds to be infected with fungi, crab eyes turn black, dry and do not develop into flowers. Even the trees that have had time to bear fruit, the young fruit is falling in large numbers due to the phenomenon of "water shock" after unexpected rains.

In Krong Pak district, known as the “durian capital” of the province, Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi (Ea Kenh commune) has more than 2 hectares of durian and said that every year the garden flowers before it rains, but this year the flowers have not yet bloomed before it has rained heavily several times. His durian garden is divided into 3-4 flowering periods, making care extremely difficult.

"Can't 'tighten' the water, can't spray pesticides at the same time. The fruit is falling off the tree, the yield will probably decrease by at least 30%," Mr. Thoi worried.

Durian trees are shedding young fruit in large numbers.

“I have grown durian for more than 20 years, and I have never encountered such harsh weather. Some days of rain, some days of scorching sun, the trees could not adapt in time. The young fruits that were not strong enough to withstand it all fell off,” added Mr. Tan Dinh Thap, a resident of the same commune.

Braving the weather

Faced with the risk of total loss, many farmers are looking for ways to adjust their techniques and cope with weather fluctuations. Mr. Huong Viet Loi, a long-time durian grower in Ea Kenh commune, said that his family is increasing microbial fertilizers, calcium, and potassium to increase the plants' resistance, and installing a drip irrigation system to proactively maintain moisture. However, this year's investment costs have doubled compared to last year.

Along with farmers, cooperatives have also taken the initiative. At the Clean Agricultural Service Cooperative of Ea Yong Commune (Krong Pak District), Mr. Mai Dinh Tho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cooperative, said that all of the nearly 200 hectares of durian of the Cooperative were affected. "We have invited agricultural experts to the garden to advise and help people with technical treatment at each stage. In particular, we recommend not to overuse chemicals to avoid further weakening the trees," Mr. Tho shared.

The durian garden of the Clean Agricultural Service Cooperative of Ea Yong commune (Krong Pak district) blooms unevenly due to the influence of the weather.

The cooperative is also promoting the digitization of the entire production process to better cope with extreme weather. “We aim to use temperature, humidity, and weather data sensors to provide early warnings for farmers to proactively handle,” said Mr. Tho.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dak Lak province, durian trees have high economic value but are also one of the most sensitive crops to climate change. Especially during the flowering and fruit-growing stages, unseasonal rain or prolonged low temperatures can seriously affect productivity.

In unseasonal rains, young durian fruits can easily fall if not handled promptly.

Currently, the agricultural sector is coordinating with localities to survey the damage and recommend adjusting the crop calendar to better suit current climate trends. At the same time, it is strengthening the dissemination of techniques for caring for durian in adverse weather conditions, especially in large specialized areas.

In addition, the industry is also recommending support for farmers to access water-saving irrigation solutions, convert suitable plant varieties, and apply digital technology in production. “Agricultural production in the period of climate change requires changes in thinking and working methods. We cannot rely on favorable weather forever,” emphasized a representative of the Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Young Nie

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/thoi-tiet-bat-loi-sau-rieng-dak-lak-gap-kho-post411309.html