Lanzones grows well in clay loam soils and in places where the ground water is shallow. It thrives best in warm humid climate with an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year.
Varieties
Varieties
Duku: The tree is usually shortr that the other varieties but has a wider crown; leaves are hairless Fruits are round and are borne from 4 to 12 fruits per raceme. Pericarp is thick (up to 6 mm) with no latex. It is sweet with a delcetable flavor.
Paete: Fruit is elongated and smallest among the varieties. Leaves are lanceolate; tree is erect and is grown mostly in Luzon, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island. Trees are relatively susceptible to bark borer infestation.
Lonkong: Longkong is a lanzones variety introduced from Thailand and Malaysia. The fruit is sweet, tasty, almost seedless and the skin or peel has no latex.
Preparation of Planting Materials
1. Select only plump and well-developed seeds.
2. Carefully remove the flesh adhering the seed.
3. Germinate tseedlings are ready for potting in 8"x11"x .003 plastic bags when the first pair of leaves have developed.
4. At 12-8 months from pricking, the rootstocks are read for asexual propagation and 6-12 months after grafting, the asexually propagated plants are ready for field planting.
5. Rebagging should be dne when polythylene nursery shade allowing full recovery of the plants prior to field planting.
Land Preparation
1. Clear/Underbrush the whole area.
2. Plow and harrow to loosen the soil.
3. Plant temporary shade (ipil-ipil, madre de cacao or banana) before fieldplanting.
4. Stake a distance of 5 meters between hills and 5 meters between rows. Prepare holes 25 cm in diameter at a depth of 25cm.
Planting
1. Apply baslly, 50-100 gm of complete fartilizer (14-14-14) or ammophos (16-20-20).
2. Remove the plastic bag and plant the seedling into the prepared hole.
3. Cover the hole with top soil and press gently.
4. Water immediately after planting.
Maintenance
1. Ringweeding of the plants should be done when necessary.
2. Shallow cultivation of the plant to a radius of at least one meter should be done twice a year or as the need arises.
3. Mulch the tree with coconut husks or grasses to conserve soil moisture.
4. Judicious pruning is done during the dry season. Cut surfaces are applied with copper fungicide.
Fertilization Schedule
a) Vegetative stage: Ammonium Sulfate/Urea:100-200 gm/tree/year
b. Bearing Stage: Complete Fertilizer (14-14-14): 5-8 kgs/tree/year (after harvest)
Fertilizer is drilled or broadcast one meter away from the base of the plant depending upon topography of the land.
Pests, Disease and their Control
A. Pest
1. Bark Borer (most common pest): Scrape-off severely infested barks and spray with recommended contact and systematic insecticides such as Chlorpyrifos,Desis;
2. Twigs: Prune/remove infested twigs and split them to expose larva and kill them mechanically.
3. Mealy bugs: Apply protectant sprays (Malathion, Endosulfan) or any contact insecticides on the developing fruits as the need arises.
B. Disease
1. Root: Rot Digging up and burning the dead trees.Treating infected roots with lime sulfur.
Source: DA- Davao, photo courtesy of wikimedia