03 May Durian Diseases and Pests: How to Prevent?
Effective durian disease management is the cornerstone of successful durian farming. Neglecting this aspect could lead to severe damage of the fruits and trees, resulting in costly losses and disruptions to durian production.
From the menace of wild civets and squirrels to the insidious threats of leaf spot and white root diseases, there is no shortage of pests and diseases which pose significant risks to your plantation.
With that in mind, this Top Fruits guide provides insight from experts with decades of experience in managing durian diseases. We’ll discuss strategies to protect your durian plantation against these common threats.
We’ve also incorporated the vast amount of studies on durian diseases conducted in recent years. The ultimate goal of the researchers being: to discover efficient disease identification methods and to uncover better treatments.
What are the major durian diseases and pests?
The first step of solving your issue is understanding and identifying the pest or disease affecting your durian plantation. Thus, this section will dive deeper into major durian diseases and pests in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.
Durian Pests
As durian plantations are usually located near forests, wild animals pose a major threat to durian planting and production. Wild boars, civets, and monkeys are widely known to eat or destroy durian fruits and trees.
Studies further found that rodents are a problem as well, with squirrels causing notable fruit loss in certain plantations and rats damaging fruits placed in storage.
In terms of insects, these pests can impact various parts of the tree, including the fruits, flowers, leaves, and trunks. The insects cause severe infestation by laying eggs on or consuming the plant, ultimately harming the growth of durian trees.
A few common insects include:
- Fruit borer (Conogethes punctiferalis, Mudaria magniplaga) – The insect lays eggs on the durian fruit it infests.
- Mealy bugs (Pseudococcus sp.) – The insect appears to be ‘white dust’ on plants, due to the substance covering its whole body.
- Stem borer (Batocera sp, Xyleutes sp) – The insect lays eggs (covered with a ‘net’) on the surface of the durian skin. Upon hatching, the larvae will make a hole in the skin and enter the fruit.
Durian Diseases
Similar to pests, durian diseases can attack all parts of the durian tree. As shown in the table below, common symptoms include peculiar colors, spots, or structures forming on the plant parts.
Here is a detailed list of durian diseases:
Disease | Description |
|---|---|
| Algal diseases | |
| Anthracnose | |
| Rhizoctonia leaf blight | |
| Phomopsis leaf spot | |
| Postharvest fruit rot | |
| Pythium root rot | |
| Sooty mold and black mildew | |
| Upas mushroom / Pink disease | |
| White root | |
Durian Diseases Caused by Phytophtora palmivora
Disease | Description |
|---|---|
| Fruit rots | Here are a few symptoms: |
| Leaf blight | |
| Patch / stem canker | |
| Root rot | |
| Stem rot | |
| Twig dieback / Leaf discoloration | |
Durian Diseases and Pests Management
Once you’ve identified the problem, the next step is solving the root of the issue. Thus, this section is divided into two key parts: preparation of the plantation site to protect against wild animals, and treatment and prevention of durian diseases.
Preparation of the Durian Plantation Site
To combat larger pests such as squirrels, rats, monkeys, and birds – farmers typically install structures, equipment, and bait around the site and trees.
We highly recommend taking into account wildlife preservation and conservation efforts by local authorities and NGOs when protecting your site against these animals. This will ensure compliance with wildlife conservation laws and reduce potential impact on surrounding biodiversity.
Here are several popular methods:
- Fences – Installed around the durian plantation to prevent animals from entering.
- Netting – Placed under the trees to catch the fruits and keep them out of the animal’s reach. This netting also plays an essential part in the durian harvesting process by ensuring the fruit has little to no damage from falling.
- Metal Shields or Sheets – Wrapped around the base of the tree to prevent squirrels (e.g. Callosciurus notatus species) from climbing up.
- Poison Baits – Placed around the plantation to mainly tackle rodents. However, there is rising concern with the use of this method, which can poison non-target wildlife (i.e. species not intended to be affected by the pesticide or poison).
- Agricultural Mobile Applications / Systems – Detects and drives away wild animals from the plantation. Although still a work-in-progress, these mobile apps with image recognition abilities promise an added layer of security for durian farmers (Yusoff & Kamarudin, 2022).
Treatment and Prevention of Durian Diseases
As shown in the table below, the treatment for durian diseases mainly encompasses (1) implementing proper plantation sanitation, (2) removing infected parts to prevent disease spread, and (3) treating the disease itself with pesticides.
Here is a detailed list of treatment and prevention methods for pest infestations:
Pests | Treatment & Prevention |
|---|---|
| Fruit borer | |
| Mealybugs | |
| Stem borer | |
Here is a detailed list of treatment and prevention methods for diseases
Disease | Treatment & Prevention |
|---|---|
| Anthracnose | |
| Algal diseases | |
| Rhizoctonia leaf blight | |
| Phomopsis leaf spot | |
| Postharvest fruit rot | |
| Pythium root rot | |
| Sooty mold and black mildew | |
| Upas mushroom / Pink disease | |
| White root |
Disease | Treatment and Prevention |
|---|---|
| |
Note: For pesticides, follow the recommended dosage on the packaging.
As each plantation has its own unique needs, the best prevention and treatment methods may vary among plantations. Consult durian disease management experts for more customized and in-depth solutions.
Procedures for Monitoring Durian Disease
There are various methods to monitor durian diseases, ranging from inspecting the durian fruits and trees visually, to planting ‘indicator plants’ next to them, to advanced automated disease identification systems.
Here are a few traditional or manual methods:
There are various methods to monitor durian diseases, ranging from inspecting the durian fruits and trees visually, to planting ‘indicator plants’ next to them, to advanced automated disease identification systems.
Here are a few traditional or manual methods:
Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Visual Inspection | Visually assessing the crops for signs of disease. |
| Scouting by field observers | Systematically inspecting fields for signs of disease (by trained personnel) |
| Disease severity rating scales | Using a numerical score system to track the progression of the disease. |
| Weather-based disease forecasting | Using weather data to foresee disease outbreaks. |
| Lab testing | Collecting plant or soil samples to be analyzed in a laboratory for disease presence. |
| Neighboring farm communications | Communicating any disease outbreaks or observations with nearby farms. |
| Indicator plants | Planting vulnerable species next to valuable crops, using them as indicators of disease presence. |
However, as pointed out by Daud et al. (2023) these manual methods have their weaknesses. Methods such as visual inspection and scouting by observers are time consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to inaccuracies.
Similarly, methods such as lab testing and indicator plants may not provide early enough disease detection for durian farmers to treat and prevent the spread of diseases.
With that, researchers have suggested the use of machine learning and pattern recognition technologies. This could reduce the dependence on durian experts to identify diseases, and increase durian production and quality.
Here are a few highlights of modern or automated methods proposed in recent years:
Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Vision Transformers (Daud et al., 2023) | An automated system which can identify durian leaf diseases, was made using deep learning techniques and models like ViT. This system achieved an accuracy of 94.12%. |
| The Naïve Bayes Method (Nugraha et al., 2021) | A durian disease diagnosis system was made using the Naïve Bayes method. The system was able to successfully identify the durian disease based on the symptoms entered into the system. This system achieved an accuracy of 82%. |
Unsure whether to take the next step in durian production? Learn all about the industry in our article on Why Durian Cultivation is Malaysia’s Next Big Investment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, infestations of durian pests and diseases can be prevented and treated. Durian farmers must implement a robust system to execute proper plantation care and protect their durian fruits and trees.
Furthermore, it’s important to stay informed of durian diseases and updated with the latest findings in agricultural technology. This will ensure efficient and increased levels of durian production.
Need a helping hand? Consult our team of durian experts at Top Fruits. We provide comprehensive guidance and assistance in managing your plantation needs.
Learn About Durian Disease Management With Top Fruits
With more than 30 years in the durian industry, Top Fruits is a leading durian supplier, durian plantation, and durian consultation company Malaysia.
Our team received The Star Export Excellence Awards in 2022 for meeting high standards of quality and authenticity in durian production.
We have supplied durians across Malaysia, to Asian countries such as Hong Kong and China, and are the first Malaysian company to penetrate the African market.
With the goal of helping local durian businesses achieve their full potential, we provide durian consultation services which offer customized solutions and valuable networking opportunities for your durian business.
FAQ
What are common diseases which attack the durian tree?
Common diseases that attack the durian tree include anthracnose, leaf spot, Pythium root rot, white root, postharvest fruit rots, leaf blight, and diseases caused by Phytophthora (e.g., fruit rots, stem canker, and root rot).
Learn more about causes and symptoms of durian diseases in this section.
Which disease affects durian fruits only?
Phytophthora fruit rot is a disease which affects durian fruits only. This fungus-like organism can also cause root rot and stem rot in the durian tree.
How do you control durian disease?
Controlling durian disease involves several measures such as:
- Implementing proper sanitation practices
- Maintaining good orchard hygiene
- Regular monitoring for symptoms
- Pruning infected parts
- Using disease-resistant varieties
- Applying appropriate fungicides or pesticides
- Managing environmental factors such as irrigation and drainage
Learn more in this section.
How do you treat Phytophthora in durian?
Phytophthora in durian can be treated by:
- Improving soil drainage
- Avoiding overwatering
- Removing and destroying infected plants or plant parts
- Applying appropriate fungicides
- Preventing water logging and reducing humidity levels
Learn more in this section.
References
- Brown, M. J. (1997). Durio, a bibliographic review. https://cgspace.cgiar.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/e6a16591-3794-44c2-8add-415e0c313e64/content
- Chung, F. (n.d.). Durian pests and diseases. https://durianinfo.blogspot.com/p/durian-pests-and-diseases.html
- Daud, M. M., Abualqumssan, A., Rashid, F. ‘. N., & Saad, M. H. M. (2023). Durian Disease Classification Using Transfer Learning for Disease Management System. Journal of Information System and Technology Management, 8(33), 67–77. https://doi.org/10.35631/jistm.833006
- Daud, M. M., Abualqumssan, A., Rashid, F. ‘. N., Saad, M. H. M., Zaki, W. M. D. W., & Satar, N. S. M. (2023). Durian Disease Classification using Vision Transformer for Cutting-Edge Disease Control. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications/International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications, 14(12). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2023.0141246
- Jacobson, P. (2022, July 13). Study assesses wildlife exposure to rat poison on oil palm plantations. Mongabay Environmental News. https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/study-assesses-wildlife-exposure-to-rat-poison-on-oil-palm-plantations/
- Nugraha, N. M. A., Rahardian, R., Kridabayu, A. N., Adhinata, F. D., & Ramadhan, N. G. (2021). Expert System to Diagnose Diseases in Durian Plants using Naïve Bayes. Building of Informatics, Technology and Science (BITS), 3(3), 346-352. https://doi.org/10.47065/bits.v3i3.1077
- O’Gara, E., Guest, D. I., Vawdrey, L. L., Langdon, P., & Diczbalis, Y. (2004). Phytophthora diseases of durian, and durian-decline syndrome in northern Queensland, Australia https://era.daf.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/10667/1/Phytophthora%20diseases%20of%20durian,%20and%20durian-decline%20syndrome%20in%20northern%20Queensland,%20Australia.pdf
- Phytophthora on durian. (2018). [Dataset]. In PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank. https://doi.org/10.1079/pwkb.20187800447
- Tongsri, V., Songkumarn, P., & Sangchote, S. (2016). Leaf spot characteristics of Phomopsis durionis on durian (Durio zibethinus murray) and latent infection of the pathogen. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 64(1), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201664010185
- Visutsak, P. (2021). Ontology-Based Semantic Retrieval for Durian Pests and Diseases Control System. International Journal of Machine Learning and Computing, 11(1), 92–97. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijmlc.2021.11.1.1019
- Yusoff, A., & Kamarudin, N. (2022). Pro Durian – Durian Farm Threats Identification Using Image Recognition. Applied Information Technology And Computer Science, 3(2), 533-550. https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/periodicals/index.php/aitcs/article/view/7546
