New region for high-quality durian production in Si Sa Ket, north-east Thailand

There is a new suitable area for 'Monthong' durian production in Si Sa Ket province, north-east Thailand. This area is located at a latitude of 14°37'-14°47'N, longitude of 104°25'-104°28'E, 150-450 m above mean sea level, and with a slope down to the north and the west. The soil is Pakchong series, having high essential minerals and high organic matter, and well drained. The number of durian growers in this area slightly increased from year 2013 to 2014. Production technologies for durian were transferred through training for 422 growers. Durian fruits were sampled and analyzed twice, at the beginning of the project in 2013 and after the growers attended training courses for good agricultural practices in 2014. The results showed the number of fruit reaching standard weight for exporting (3.0-4.99 kg fruit^‑1) increased by over 20% from 2013 to 2014. The fruits comprised 30-35% flesh weight, 60-67% skin weight and 4-5% seed weight.