Bangkok, Thailand, April 20, 2009

Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 02:21:03 PM

Early morning Khun pick me up to visit a mango orchard near of Panut-Nileom town, Mr. Su-vit Ku-na-wut is one of the best mango growers in Bangkok, he proud show his awards in his packing box. Some of the traditional cultivars, and most of his production is sold for export. He mainly has 'Nam Doc Mai #4' 'Nam Doc Mai- Golden', and 'Kheio Savoy'. They start to plant some 'Irwin' mangos to target the Japanese market. Fruit were sold mature green and ripe, depending on the market and the cultivar.

Su-vit was knowledgeable about the cultivars and the management was in general improved. They had major problems with fruit fly, which they controlled through a combination of baiting, sanitation and chemical application. Pruning is well adopted in Thailand.

All pruning was by hand and the tree height was in general less than 3.5 m. Most trees has bloom induction practiced using drought stress and paclobutrazol. In speaking with him I obtained straight forward answers about cultivars, unlike what I was receive during the remainder of the expedition.

In the afternoon we stop by the farmers market, Panut-Nileom is one of the oldest city in Thailand, and it show it in the arquitecture and their old style of life. I enjoy having lunch in a local place in town, where they served in the floor. I also coud't resist to buy some of the beuty traditional Thai banquets for the mango festival.

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