Outstanding fruit varieties for the Ilocos Region

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Four outstanding fruit varieties have been identified by researchers of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte to perform well in the Ilocos Region.

Already released as varieties for commercial production, these outstanding varieties are the MMSU-SRO Sweet Jackfruit, Aglibut Sweet Tamarind, and the Prima and Corcino mango varieties, according to Dr. Gliceria Pascua, leader of the research team.

The two new mango varieties would provide diversity in mango for green, processing and fresh fruits, said Dr. Pascua. They can also be used as mother plants for the improvement of the Carabao mango.

The MMSU-SRO Sweet Jackfruit was named after Dr. Santiago R. Obien, the second president of MMSU and first executive director of PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute), who could very well be considered to have pushed fruits research in the Ilocos Region.  In fact, he was the only SUC (state university and college) president during his time who pushed fruits research in the region.  

The mother tree is one of the seedling trees at MMSU with outstanding fresh fruit quality. It has an upright growth habit and produces 24 fruits per tree annually, a heavy yielder. Its medium-sized fruit weighs 5.5 to 10 kg (kilograms).  It is ellipsoidal – 313.4 mm (millimeters) long with a diameter of 230.2 mm. It has moderate amount of latex.

Its yellow orange flesh is very sweet (TSS = > 30 degrees Brix), and has smooth and firm texture, moderate juiciness, no fiber and intermediate aroma. On the average, each fruitlet is 16.35 grams.  The flesh has an edible portion of 43.26 percent.

The Aglibut Sweet Tamarind is a clonal seedling planted by the late Prof. Andres Aglibut in the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC) in Magalang, Pampanga and MMSU. After his retirement from UPLB where he spent the best years of his life as an agricultural engineering professor and administrator, Prof. Aglibut was consultant at the PAC and later at MMSU. 

Dr. Zosimo M. Battad, grandson of Prof. Aglibut, led in the registration of this variety when he was the PAC president. The characteristics of the variety were also verified at MMSU and, hence, both PAC and MMSU have been given the go-signal by NSIC to commercialize it.

The fruits are slightly curved with an average weight of 21.04 grams, moderately sweet (TSS = 22.03 degrees Brix], moderately juicy, dark brown flesh, and high edible portion [53.88 percent). It has a spreading growth habit and can produce an average 45 kg a year at the height of its fruit bearing stage.

Owned by Prof. Prima Ragudo Franco of MMSU and located in Sinait, Ilocos Sur, Prima Mango is a seedling selection, which produces big fruits (736 grams) with yellow orange skin when ripe. The tree is now 50 years old. Its kidney-shaped fruits can be eaten both as ripe and green mango, and can be processed into juice, candy, jam, chutney or dried mango. 

The ripe fruit has thick yellow orange skin (3 mm), high edible portion (76 percent), and a TSS of 13.07 percent, and is juicy and aromatic.  As green mango, it is light in color, crispy and 88 percent edible portion.  It is a regular fruit bearer and heavy yielder.

Dr. Pascua said Prima’s big fruits and skin qualify it as one of the parents for the improvement of the Carabao mango.  It is responsive to the application of potassium nitrate for off-season mango production.  MMSU has already established a breeding stock to hybridize Carabao mango with Prima.

Owned by Roque Corcino in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, Corcino Mango is red-skinned and can also be eaten as ripe and green mango.  The 30 year old mother tree is a regular fruit bearer and heavy yielder (750 kg).   Its spherical fruits are round, and weigh an average 350 grams.  Its edible portion is 72 percent when ripe and 68 percent when green.  

The flesh is yellow and crispy when eaten as green mango.  It turns yellow orange, smooth and juicy when ripe. It has a mild aroma and moderate amount of fiber.  The ripe fruit can also be processed into juice, candy, jam, chutney or dried mango.

Meanwhile, a promising avocado selection has been found in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Owned by Dionisio Bucao, an MMSU researcher, the tree has been evaluated for two years already. The tree produces big fruits (518.34 grams), which are a lot heavier the varietal selection standard of NSIC (300 to 400 grams).  In fact, its fruits are even heavier (446 grams) than Rambu, which was registered earlier as a variety. 

Like Rambu, it has purple, tough and leathery skin with a thickness of 0.99 mm. Its yellow flesh has smooth and firm texture with nutty and buttery flavor, but without any fiber. Its edible portion of 80.89 percent is much higher than Rambu.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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