Optimizing durian production: impacts of drip irrigation and organic mulching on yield, fruit quality and soil properties 


Citation :- Optimizing durian production: impacts of drip irrigation and organic mulching on yield, fruit quality and soil properties. Res. Crop. 26: 298-305
LE LY VU VI, LE HUU HAI, TRAN BA LINH AND LE VINH THUC villv91@gmail.com
Address : School of Agriculture, Can Tho University, Campus II, 3/2 Street, Xuan Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam
Submitted Date : 6-06-2025
Accepted Date : 9-06-2025

Abstract

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) is one of the most economically important fruit crops in Vietnam Mekong Delta. However, durian regions were affected by water scarcity because of periodic salinity intrusion events. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a study to optimize water use efficiency in durian cultivation without compromising yield and quality. This study sought to identify the impacts of using drip irrigation and organic mulching on the productivity, fruit quality, and soil properties of a common durian variety in Mekong Delta for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. The results showed that drip irrigation treatments, with or without mulching, used significantly less water than the farmer practice control (2.6 to 3.9 times lower), without reducing yield. Fruit quality was significantly higher in S (drip irrigation with 10 kg/tree of rice straw mulching) and D (drip irrigation without mulching) than in the control. Mulching treatments, including M (drip irrigation with 10 kg/tree of manure), B (drip irrigation with 10 kg/tree of biochar), M + B (drip irrigation with 5 kg/tree each of manure and biochar), and S + M + B (drip irrigation with 5 kg/tree of straw, manure, and biochar) significantly enhanced soil properties. Therefore, we recommend that drip irrigation with organic mulching materials should be applied to improve water use efficiency, durian fruit quality, and soil health.

Keywords

Drip irrigation durian quality organic mulching soil properties water efficiency 


References

Akilanathan, L., Vishnumohan, S., Arcot, J., Uthira. L. and Ramachandran, S. (2010). Total folate: diversity within fruit varieties commonly consumed in India. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 61: 463–72.
Ayars, J., Bucks, D. A., Lamm, F. R. and Nakayama, F. S. (2007). Developments in agricultural engineering, Elsevier 13: 1–26.
Chen, L., Sun, S., Yao, B., Peng, Y., Gao, C., Qin, T., Zhou, Y., Sun, C. and Quan, W. (2022). Effects of straw return and straw biochar on soil properties and crop growth: A review. Front. Plant Sci. 13: doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.986763.
Chen, R., Li, H., Wang, J. and Song, Z. (2023). Critical factors influencing soil runoff and erosion in sprinkler irrigation: Water application rate and droplet kinetic energy. Agric. Water Manag. 283: doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108299.
Hiranpradit, J. S., Lee-ungkulasatian N. and Polprasid, P. (1992). Group characterization of Thai durian, Durio zibethinus murr. Acta Hortic. 321: 263–69.
Kabir, M. Y., Nambeesan, S. U., Bautista, J. and Díaz-Pérez, J. C. (2021). Effect of irrigation level on plant growth, physiology and fruit yield and quality in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Sci. Hortic. 281: doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109902.
Kirkham, M. B. (2014). Principles of soil and plant water relations (2nd Edn.), Elsevier.  pp: 56-92.
Liang, D., Ning, Y., Ji, C., Zhang, Y., Wu, H., Ma, H., Zhang, J. and Wang, J. (2024). Biochar and manure co-application increases rice yield in low productive acid soil by increasing soil pH, organic carbon, and nutrient retention and availability. Plants 13: doi:10.3390/plants13070973.
Luna, L., Miralles, I., Andrenelli, M. C., Gispert, M., Pellegrini, S., Vignozzi, N. and Solé-Benet, A. (2016). Restoration techniques affect soil organic carbon, glomalin and aggregate stability in degraded soils of a semiarid Mediterranean region. CATENA 143: 256–64.
Minh, N. P. (2021). Preharvest fumigation of 1-Methylcyclopropene, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, chlorine dioxide and nitric oxide for improving postharvest quality of durian (Durio zibethinus) fruit. Res. Crop. 22: 712-19.
Ngoc, N. P., Dang, L. V., Ly, L. M., Thao, P. T. P. and Hung, N. N. (2024). Use of the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) for determining the nutritional balance of durian cultivated in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Hortic. 10: doi:10.3390/horticulturae10060561.
Park, E., Loc, H. H., Van Binh, D. and Kantoush, S. (2022). The worst 2020 saline water intrusion disaster of the past century in the Mekong Delta: Impacts, causes, and management implications. Ambio, 51: 691–99.
Quyen, N. K., Dang, L. V., Ngoc, N. P., Quynh, L. N., Phuong, N. M., Ly, L. M. and Hung, N. N. (2025). Reducing uneven fruit ripening and improving the quality of durian (Durio zibethinus murr.) fruit using plastic mulching combined with polyhalite fertilizer. Agronomy 15: doi:10.3390/agronomy15030631.
Roja, M., Deepthi, Ch. And Reddy, M. D. (2020). Effect of surface and drip irrigation levels on growth, yield, nutrient uptake and water productivity of maize: A review. Crop Res. 55: 152-61.
Rossi, G., Beni, C. and Neri, U. (2024). Organic mulching: a sustainable technique to improve soil quality. Sustainability 16: doi:10.3390/su162310261.
Taiz, L, Zeiger, E., Møller, I. M. and Murphy, A. (2014). Plant physiology and development. California, US. Publisher: Sinauer Associates Incorporated. pp: 67-82.
Tan, P. F., Ng, S. K., Tan, T. B., Chong, G. H. and Tan, C. P. (2018). Shelf-life determination of durian (Durio zibethinus) pastes and pulp upon high pressure processing. Food Res. 3: 221–30.
Tong, W., Wu, P., Liu, X., Zhang, L., Zhou, W. and Wang, Z. (2022). A global meta-analysis of fruit tree yield and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation. Agric. Water Manag. 260: doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107321.
Walkley, A. J. and Black, I. A. (1934). Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci. 37: 29-38.
Wang, Y, Liu, L., Wang, Y., Tao, H., Fan, J., Zhao, Z. and Guo, Y. (2019). Effects of soil water stress on fruit yield, quality and their relationship with sugar metabolism in ‘Gala’ apple. Sci. Hortic. 258: doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.108753.
Zhang, J., Fu, G., Jin, Z., Chi, L., Xu, G. and Yue, D. (2022). Optimization of organic mulches thickness improves soil moisture retention under controlled conditions. Phyton 91: 841–57.
Zhang, S., Wang, Y., Sun, L., Qiu, C., Ding, Y., Gu, H., Wang, L., Wang, Z. and Ding, Z. (2020). Organic mulching positively regulates the soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions in tea plantation. BMC Microbiol. 20: doi:10.1186/s12866-020-01794-8.
Zhou, W., Sun, X., Li, S., Du, T., Zheng, Y. and Fan, Z. (2022). Effects of organic mulching on soil aggregate stability and aggregate binding agents in an urban forest in Beijing, China. J. For. Res. 33: 1083-94.
 

Global Footprints