Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, December 25, 1990

Growing imported fruit tree made easy

     Dizon also noted the current trend of growing imported fruit trees like oranges, grapes, pears, lychees, apples, to name a few, in the country in the past few years. This is because the income derived from them more than offset production costs, he said.

     If only the government would continue providing fruit tree farmers financial assistance and limit, if not totally ban fruit importation, this industry could be a potential top dollar earner, Dizon pointed out.

     He said that it is only very recently through the enterprise of some Filipino entrepreneurs that the technique of growing foreign varieties of fruit trees have been successfully realized, albeit slowly and painstakingly. In this regard, Dizon lamented the selfishness of some foreign nationals who have come here and kept to themselves that technology in fruit tree propagation and culture.

     Dizon disclosed that a heavy number of beginner orchardists have fallen prey to 'root rot' in their plants all because they lacked the right technology needed in this undertaking. According to Dizon, fruit trees especially should be planted in well-drained, porous, and light soil - the sandy loam or loam kind. Poorly drained soil contributes largely to the failure of fruit trees to grow well, he added.

     The root system, Dizon said, is the basic foundation of the plant as this is the network that absorbs nutrients from the soil and serves as anchorage. The growth of the plants depends on root development which normally takes years before it attains productive or fruiting stage, he said. He added that this growth phenomenon is generally observed throughout the world especially in temperate countries that have two dormant seasons, autumn and winter.

     Dizon observed that the supply of fresh fruits nowadays is overtaken by the great demand for them due to the rapid increase in population. This is brought about, he said, by the insufficient local fruit tree population and seasonality of fruit trees. Most of the fruit trees we currently propagate only bear fruits once a year, Dizon said.

     Dizon disclosed that the cloning and multiple rootstocking of fruit tree seedling is being actively undertaken in his fruit research and development center at the UP BLISS Economic Garden in Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.

     "Mass production through a massive planting of fruit trees should be undertaken- instead of fruit importation," Dizon stressed.

     Dizon has suggested that fruit trees like mango ad kasoy should be used by the government for its reforestation program. In this manner, he said, hillside and the cut-ad-slash-and-burn farmers will have second thoughts about cutting these trees grown the moment they see them bearing fruits already. Their quest for firewood would instead be compensated by the prospect of income from the tree's produce.

     "If fruit trees are planted in lieu of forest trees in mountain sides, valleys, parks and highways and they are made to bear quality fruits to the fullest, they would be capable of generating more jobs and income especially for the marginal farmers," Dizon said.

     To make fruit tree growing a lucrative industry, Dizon has recommended the following:

     Financial and marketing assistance to fruit tree growers.

     Technical know-how in different phases of fruit culture and certified planting materials at nominal costs should be provided the fruit tree farmers.

     Dizon who has been credited with a number of breakthroughs in the field of agriculture believes that the application of the multiple rootstock method in currently standing fruit trees would perk up not only the orchardists' trees but their money-earning capabilities as well.

     With the multiple rootstock method, the tree is supported with two or more root system or rootstocks. This method doubles the plant's growth, shortens its fruiting period, and is rendered highly resistant to pests and diseases