New purple star apple variety salt-tolerant, bearing fruit all year round

When open a star apple, there is no latex, the seeds are completely peeled. The skin is thin, the flesh is tasty. This variety is salt-tolerant and bears fruit throughout the year.

This star apple variety is as delicious as ordinary purple star apple but when open the fruit there is no latex, skin is thin and flesh is thick. Photo: VBQ.

After seven years of researching and selecting, Tran Van Hum (or Ba Hum as nickname) and his family living in My Thuan, Nhon My commune, Ke Sach district, Soc Trang province have successfully developed a new purple star apple variety named  "Tu Quy".

According to Ba Hum's son Tran Huu Thang, a capable partner in developing Tu Quy star apple variety.  the distinct biological characteristics of this star apple variety  which make it differ from other varieties of star apple are bearing fruits all year round , short flowering and fruiting period (about 45 days), high yield  up to 40 tons per hectare per year.

Another special advantage of the variety is better salt-tolerating capacity compared to other varieties of star apple. During the two fierce salt intrusions in 2016 and 2020,  with the same watering and caring conditions, other star apple trees in many orchards in Nhon My died while the trees of this variety stilled developed as normally. According to Thang, salt water sometimes leaked into ditches in the orchard with salinity of 3‰ but his orchard showed no sign of damage due to salt intrusions.

In terms of morphological characteristics, in comparison with the purple star apple variety is widely cultivated in Ke Sach district, the new variety has bigger leaves with more wrinkles, and the underside of the leaves and flowers has darker yellow-brown color.     

The fruit quality is also outstanding. When open a star apple, there is no latex, the seeds are completely peeled, the skin is thin, and the flesh is thick and delicious.

With these unique characteristics, the new star apple variety is warmly welcomed in the domestic market. The fruits of this variety are sold well at prices 1.5-2 times higher than other varieties of purple star apple. Many exporting enterprises took field trips to the orchard to take samples for analysis, saying that the fruits meet requirements from importing countries in terms of size, appearance and quality

However, the cultivation area of this variety is only 3.5 ha of which two hectares of trees is bearing fruit when the trees are at the age 6 and 7. The remaining 1 hectare is just one-year old trees. To take advantages of the precious star apple variety, the agricultural sector of Soc Trang province is supporting Tran Van Hum to execute two tasks at the same time.

First, making surveys, doing researches to register for protection of the new star apple variety. Second, propagating and prioritizing the cultivation of the new variety in the fruit cooperative of the district to establish a specialized raw material area ensuring regular supply and stable quality. After that, organizing the production and supply of seedlings for organizations and individuals inside and outside the district.

Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Head of the Sub-deparment of Cultivation and Plant Protection, Deputy Director of the project on developing Soc Trang's  specialty fruits  stated " the new star apple variety is a valuable resource of Ke Sach district and the authorities and departments of all levels  need to do the best to protect, develop and exploit it.