Growing mini durian trees on sloping hillsides.

Mr. Ngo Thanh Phong introduces his mini durian orchard in Doi Riu hamlet, Hang Gon commune, Long Khanh city. Photo: B. Nguyen

In particular, Mr. Ngo Thanh Phong's unique mini durian cultivation model has won first prize for model gardens in the province for many consecutive years. His solution involves controlling the height of the durian trees, reducing the risk of them falling over due to natural disasters, and resulting in significantly higher durian yield and quality compared to traditional methods.

Small crops yield big benefits.

Mr. Ngo Thanh Phong's family's 8-year-old durian orchard has approximately 270 trees, about 130 more than a traditional durian orchard. To achieve such a high planting density, Mr. Phong controls the trees so that when mature, they only reach a height of about 3.5 meters and a canopy diameter of only 3.5 meters.

Mr. Phong compared: "If left to grow naturally, in 8 years, a durian tree would be over 10m tall with a canopy 5-6m wide. But in this mini durian orchard, when the tree was about 1m tall, I pruned the top to encourage the growth of many side branches. When the tree matured to about 3.5m tall, I pruned the top and trimmed the branches so that the tree wouldn't grow any taller or its canopy wouldn't widen."

Mr. Phong recalled that, in the past, the remote area of Doi Riu hamlet faced many difficulties due to its hilly terrain and sparse population, so most farmers did not dare to invest in changing their production, especially in planting fruit trees which require high costs. Mr. Phong was among the pioneering farmers in the area who switched to growing durian, a local specialty.

In his youth, he was fascinated by durian trees, as they are a top-performing specialty crop in terms of economic efficiency. During cultivation, he observed that some durian trees had broken tops, resulting in shorter trees that were more luxuriant, yielding higher productivity and better quality fruit. After visiting and studying durian production models in Thailand, he learned more about the mini-durian cultivation model. He experimented with pruning the tops of durian trees to control their height in his garden. Seeing the model's effectiveness, eight years ago, he decided to invest in a one-hectare durian plantation using the mini-tree model.

Mr. Phong said: "Durian trees yield high economic returns, so I am very cautious when making changes in the care process and applying new techniques. I chose the mini durian planting model largely because planting on sloping hillsides makes tall trees prone to falling. Therefore, I dug deep holes to create level plots of land so that each durian tree root could firmly anchor itself on the hillside."

This mini durian farming model also offers many benefits: the trees bear fruit after only two years and yield high productivity in the third year. The trees are short, making them easy to care for, manage pests and diseases, and reducing labor and fertilizer costs. During the fruiting process, he carefully selects only about 60 fruits per tree to ensure a high percentage of fruit meets export standards. Considering the average weight of 3.5-4 kg per fruit, each durian tree currently yields 150-200 kg, resulting in approximately 40 tons of fruit per hectare – nearly double the yield of traditional durian orchards.

According to Mr. Ngo Thanh Phong, when the mini durian farming model proves highly economically effective, he is willing to share this technique with many other farmers. The model not only thrives in flat areas but is also very suitable for replication in hilly, rocky, and windy areas.

Supporting farmers in applying new techniques.

Not only is his agricultural production model highly economically efficient, but Mr. Phong is also a pioneer in the local area in transitioning to organic farming.

According to Mr. Phong: "Organic farming helps to keep the soil healthy, and healthy trees produce high-quality fruit. Furthermore, it's a solution for producing durian that meets the stringent standards of the export market."

Mr. Phong's entire 2-hectare durian orchard is planted with the specialty DONA durian variety. Mr. Phong observes that, if the planting and care techniques are mastered, this specialty durian variety yields very high economic returns. DONA durians are fragrant, with thick, dry flesh and a rich, sweet flavor, making them popular in both domestic and export markets. Most notably, the biggest advantage of this variety is its longer shelf life and lower export risk, so even during difficult export periods, traders still pay high prices to purchase this specialty product.

What is admirable about the successful farmer Ngo Thanh Phong is that he doesn't keep his unique technique for growing mini durians to himself, but is willing to share and transfer the technique to many other farmers.

Therefore, more than 10 years ago, Mr. Phong established a labor team specializing in providing agricultural services from planting, caring for, controlling, and treating pests and diseases to harvesting. In particular, he has supported local farmers and those in other areas in applying the mini-durian farming model. To date, this model has been replicated in the locality, covering hundreds of hectares.

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