Maturity lndices:

Myth : Judgement of Durian Maturity is Partly Science and Partly Art.
Fact : Maturity Stage of Durian Fruit at Harvest is the Single Most Important

Factor Affecting Quality and Storage.

Days from flowering (full bloom) to harvest. There are differences among cultivars. Chanee : 90-100 days , Monthong : 125-135 days , Kanyao : 120-135 days , Kradumhong : 90-100 days.

Changes in colour of the rind : change from fresh green (waxy) to slightly rusting, appearance of bloom , or dry look , or fleckles.

Abscission layer become distinctly corky.

Changes to spines : browning of the tips of spines, slightly drying up, by observation and finger feeling

Changes to the (fruit) peduncle : swollen (about 2 to 3 cm ring) of a portion of peduncle close to the break point ; roughening (sand-feeling for some cultivars) on the peduncle surface; increase in stiffness of the "peduncle-stem" by holding and swing the fruit ; changes associated with exudate (decrease in viscosity, and slight sweetness) from xylem of the freshly cut stem.

Acoustic method by tapping at the equatorial or lower part of the fruit where tapping sound change from tight (pang-pang) to loose (pong-pong).

Colour of the aril change from off-white (immature stage), to tinge or blotch of pale yellow (less mature green stage), creamy, or yellow (advanced mature green stage). The extent of such change may differ in cultivars. This is one of the most reliable indicators determining maturity stage.

Colour of the seed turn from pale cream (immature stage) to light brown (mature green stage) to reddish brown

Durians normally take 90-135 days between full bloom and physiological maturity, depending on cultivars, position of a fruit on a tree, location and production conditions including irrigation, fertilizer applications, timing of vegetable flushes and floral development, and environmental conditions. Thus, combinations of characteristics listed are used in commercial harvest operations because of inconsistency in using only one character. Furthermore, individual trees will flower and set fruit over several weeks. The durians on one tree are therefore of differing ages. Harvesting of fruit for each tree is carried out several times according to flushes over the season, and harvesting of each fruit has to be selective.


Three maturity categories are:

Full mature : The fruit has reached more than 90% physiological maturity. The fruit may be tree-ripe showing sign of aril softening or may not show any sign of aril softening. Subsequent storage life of fruit of such a maturity is less than 3 to 4 days. If left on the tree, the fruit will drop ; if harvested, it will ripen to excellent eating quality. For export by air, the fruit , because of the odour, is not welcomed by airliners. The fruit usually cannot sustain the long sea freighting.

Mature green : The fruit has reached 80 to 90% physiological maturity and is considered commercially mature. Ripening of such a fruit has began on the tree but at a lower rate than the full mature fruit and without any sign of aril softening . The storage time is about 5 to 8 days for the "advanced" mature green fruit and no more than 10 to 12 days for the "less" mature green respectively. If harvested, the fruit will continue to ripen and complete the ripening processes to good and excellent eating quality.

Immature : Less than 75% physiological maturity and have low commercial value because of poor eating quality. If harvested, the fruit may or may not able to undergo climateric processes thus may not ripen normally. The aril may still soften but quality is inferior

Summarized by Ms Sing Ching Tongdee , Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research


Quality lndices:

Fruit - whole fruit, rind and aril - should be characteristics of cultivars. In general the size and shape of the fruit has no correlation to internal eating quality.

High aril/whole fruit ratio, thick aril, thin rind, small or aborted seed. These mostly are inherent characteristics of cultivars; but may also due to tree age.

Fruit is physiologically mature and capable of normal ripening processes on arrival in the importing market.

Rind green, dark green to rusty green depends on cultivars and growing conditions.

Aril yellow to rich golden yellow, firm, creamy, sticky, dry, sweet. Sweet-bitter in some cultivars when over - ripe.

Minimal mechanical damages to the rind, Clean and avoid contact of fruit with soil during harvesting.

Free from diseases caused by Phytophthora and Botryodiplodia.

Free from physiological defects include water-soaked aril, un-even softening of aril within a fruit, failure of the aril to soften, over-ripe, fruit cracking.

Free from insects both surface and seed-borer; and free from apparent insect damages.

Avoid chilling temperature.

Within a package, fruit shall be of the same variety and maturity stage. Minimum size and shape specifications may be allowed depending on the market requirement.

Changes associated with ripening include conversion of starch to sugar (increase in sweetness), softening of aril, increased aroma, ease in opening along abscission or cracking at fruit end when over-ripe.

Summarized by Ms Sing Ching Tongdee , Thailand Institute of Seientific and Technological Research