Sustaining custard apples with smart cultivation

Caring for trees like caring for children

In Binh Khe Ward, Quang Ninh Province, soft custard apples (Annona squamosa L.) are not only a local specialty but also the main livelihood for many households. To preserve the fruit’s delicate sweetness and distinctive fragrance, the secret lies not only in the variety itself but also in the cultivation methods, which require patience, meticulous care, and a continuous process of learning.

For Mrs. Bui Thi Loi from the Ninh Binh residential area, who has spent more than 16 years cultivating soft custard apples, every tree in her orchard is regarded as a “spiritual child” that she monitors each day closely. With more than 200 custard apple trees, she maintains the habit of visiting the garden regularly, observing everything from young leaves to flower buds in order to detect unusual signs at an early stage.

During the early years, before mastering cultivation techniques, soft custard apple trees caused Mrs. Loi many sleepless nights due to pests, diseases, and low fruit-setting rates. Compared to firm custard apples, soft custard apples are more delicate and demanding, requiring precision at every stage of cultivation. Instead of giving up, however, she chose to learn from books, television programs, the internet, and especially from experienced growers.

One of the key principles she learned is to strictly follow proper care schedules. Spraying is carried out only in the early morning or late afternoon. If done incorrectly, intense heat can burn the flowers and damage the fruit, potentially ruining the entire crop.

In addition to manual methods, her family has invested in a spraying system with a large storage tank and pipelines running throughout the orchard. This upgrade not only reduces labor but also improves the efficiency of pest and disease control while ensuring even coverage.

“Soft custard apple trees commonly face four major pests and diseases: aphids, spider mites, fungal infections, especially anthracnose, and mealybugs, with aphids being the most dangerous. When aphids attack, leaves are stripped bare, young shoots wither, and the trees lose their ability to flower, which means a failed harvest,” Mrs. Loi shared.

Notably, these pests and diseases do not appear at the same time but emerge one after another, requiring constant monitoring from growers. Once aphids are controlled, spider mites may outbreak, followed by fungal diseases during humid weather conditions.

Rather than relying heavily on chemical pesticides, Mrs. Loi prioritizes the use of biological products for pest and disease management. According to her, these biological solutions still achieve around 50-60% effectiveness in treating fungal diseases and aphids, while also giving her family greater confidence when bringing products to market.

Living and breathing with custard apple trees, toward sustainable production

Mrs. Loi is not the only farmer in Binh Khe who has mastered soft custard apple cultivation techniques. Another notable example is the family of Mr. Bui Xuan Hanh, who grows 70 indigenous custard apple trees. Beyond mastering pollination and canopy-shaping techniques, Mr. Hanh places particular emphasis on scientific and sustainable pest and disease management.

According to him, one of the biggest current challenges is that cultivation areas remain fragmented and intercropped with various other plants, making pest outbreaks difficult to control. Thrips can easily fly from one orchard to another, while spider mites spread through the wind. If only a few neighboring households fail to apply synchronized pest control measures, infestations can quickly return.

Based on this reality, Mr. Hanh has developed a separate care schedule for each growth stage of the custard apple trees. During March and April, the focus is on controlling thrips, while from April to May, priority shifts to treating spider mites and mealybugs. For fungal diseases such as anthracnose and ring spot, he closely monitors temperature and humidity to detect problems early and respond promptly.

Notably, instead of using highly toxic chemicals, Mr. Hanh prioritizes next-generation pesticides and biological products to minimize impacts on the environment, water sources, and beneficial organisms.

“Pesticide application cannot be based on intuition. It must follow the farming calendar and the development thresholds of pests and diseases,” he shared.

According to Mr. Hanh, healthy custard apple trees must be nurtured from the roots. Immediately after harvest, orchards are supplied with sufficient nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients to restore soil fertility and tree nutrition.

“Custard apple growers today can no longer rely solely on traditional experience. They need to master cultivation techniques if they want to improve economic efficiency and achieve sustainable development,” Mr. Hanh said.

By “living and breathing” with his custard apple orchard, Mr. Hanh’s family has mastered the techniques of propagation, cultivation, and care, contributing to the preservation and development of this valuable indigenous variety. Each tree yields around 25 kilograms of fruit per season, while Grade-1 custard apples are sold directly at the orchard for about USD 4.6 per kilogram, providing the family with a stable income.

According to Mrs. Tran Thi Theu, Vice Chairwoman of the Farmers’ Association of Binh Khe Ward, soft custard apples are currently one of the ward’s key crops, covering approximately 65 hectares. To support farmers, the association has established production linkage groups, organized technical training courses, and disbursed approximately USD 77,000 to help households invest in orchard care. Training activities extend beyond fertilizers and pesticides to include technology applications such as product traceability and access to e-commerce platforms.

In the context of increasingly demanding markets, custard apple cultivation is no longer focused solely on productivity but also on ensuring quality and safety. Currently, Binh Khe has custard apple growing areas certified under VietGAP standards and granted geographical indication status. With an average yield of 10-12 tons per hectare and an income of around USD 7,700 per hectare, custard apple cultivation has helped many local households stabilize their livelihoods.

$1 = VND 26,390 (source: Vietcombank).