Exalting Wanayasa Mangosteens

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

Mahmud Tohir

The zeal of Mahmud Tohir to introduce the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) to the world has never waned. For him, mangosteens are no ordinary fruit, but rather a heritage of life that must be conserved.The light drizzle at noon on Friday (10/4/2020) did not stop Mahmud, 63, from heading to one of the parent trees that had been in his family for generations in Cibuntu village of Wanayasa district, Purwakarta, West Java. The tree, about 15 meters tall, was once the subject of his experiments in producing superior mangosteen seedlings.

To this day, this tree has continued to bear fruit, although it is more than 100 years old. In the past it was shorter, making it easier to harvest, he said.

Mahmud became interested in mangosteens as a child, when he used to play among the 10 or so mangosteen trees that grew in the family plantation. During the harvest season, he gathered the fruits to be sold in the city.

Mahmud comes from farming family. His father supported the family by planting crops of rice in Cibuntu village. After his father died, Mahmud became engaged in horticultural farming. He looked after the mangosteen trees in the family plantation he had inherited from his father, so they would become more productive.

Later, he started improving upon the methods of propagating mangosteen trees through a variety of experiments. He conducted many experiments to produce superior mangosteen seedlings from selected trees. Finally, he succeeded in inventing a technique for producing mangosteen seedlings from quality trees.

The process finishes by sowing the seeds directly in the earth.

In order to product quality seedlings, the mangosteen seeds are first washed thoroughly until it has been cleaned of all flesh. The seeds are then rinsed and dried in the sun for 10-30 minutes, depending on the weather. The process finishes by sowing the seeds directly in the earth.

The seeds should be collected selectively from high-yield parent trees, which usually possess several desirable characteristics including fast and strong development, as well as producing large fruits in dense clusters.

Parent trees should be at least 25 years old. Younger trees produce seeds that germinate young seedlings that do not develop optimally, with weak leaves and root systems that slow and stunt growth.

Mahmuds experience in the field has been expanded on with the knowledge he gained from different agricultural training programs.

Mahmuds experience in the field has been expanded on with the knowledge he gained from different agricultural training programs. Apart from propagating from seed, he now also develops seedlings by grafting.

According to Mahmud, propagating plants from seed and propagating by grafting have their advantages and disadvantages. Grafting produces plants that start producing fruit in about 4-5 years. They can also be grown in pots.

Mangosteen trees grown from seed start producing fruit only after 5-6 years. With seed propagation, the taller the plants, the bigger the fruits and the yield. Grafted plants are smaller and produce fewer fruits, he said.

Natural heritage

The Wanayasa mangosteen isnt just any fruit. They are governed by Agriculture Minister Decree No. 571/Kpts/SR.120/9/2006. In terms of dimensions, this type of mangosteen tree has relatively larger trunks of 4.5-5 centimeters in diameter and produce fruit weighting 90-110 grams each.

With their sweet and tangy flesh, what distinguishes the Wanayasa mangosteen from mangosteens from other places is its shelf life of up to 28 days. Unsurprisingly, these fruits are a favorite among consumers in China.

The plantation claims to have over 150,000 trees.

In 2018, Indonesia exported 38,800 tons of mangosteens to China. Today, the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers depend on the 1,500-hectare mangosteen plantation, which produces an average 47 tons per hectare in a bumper year. The plantation claims to have over 150,000 trees.

“The more seedlings are certified as superior, the greater the potential for increasing the production of quality mangosteen in Indonesia, Mahmud stressed.

Unfortunately, it has not been easy for Mahmud to share his better technique of mangosteen propagation to other farmers, who initially belittled the method. ’What would be the use of propagating mangosteen trees if there arent any buyers of such a large quantity of young seedlings? Mahmud recalled them saying.

Nevertheless, Mahmud kept going. He was convinced that mangosteen breeding would be a very profitable business, even if the seedlings could only be sold at the age of 1.5 years. Mangosteen development takes a long time. Seed propagation wont yield short-term profit. It takes longer and the process requires patience, he added.

Mahmud demonstrated the promising results through his hard work. Other mangosteen farmers became interested in following Mahmuds footsteps. On the terrace of his house, he frequently held gatherings with local residents interested in mangosteen breeding.

Many people from other regions, including researchers, lecturers and students, even came to join him to learn in his natural laboratory.

Many people from other regions, including researchers, lecturers and students, even came to join him to learn in his natural laboratory. He offered free training.

Today, Mahmud is inviting the youths in his village to become involved in mangosteen propagation. Moreover, high demand has developed outside Java for Wanayasa mangosteen seedlings. One year, he even received an order for 60,000 young mangosteen seedlings.

Last year, he set up the Wanayasa Seedling Development Association. At least 10 mangosteen seedling farmers belong to this group. They can supply up to 25,000 Wanayasa mangosteen seedlings per annum.

The business of growing baby mangosteen plants has been spreading to several regions in Indonesia, including West Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Bogor and Sukabumi.

The business of growing baby mangosteen plants has been spreading to several regions in Indonesia, including West Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Bogor and Sukabumi. Mahmud is certain that, when properly maintained, the young plants will develop well and yield good fruits. The West Java Food Crop and Horticultural Seedling Certification and Control Center has so far certified four trees as parent trees.

Wanayasa mangosteen trees are a natural heritage. The superiority of their fruit should be preserved so that the next generation can enjoy their flavor, he said.

Mahmud said that his efforts were the beginning of a long journey to distribute the Wanayasa mangosteen around the globe.

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

Mahmud Tohir

Mahmud Tohir

Born: Purwakarta, 12 Jan. 1957

Wife: Entin Fatimah

Children: Ayik Saifulloh, Eka Sutisna, Neneng Eva Novianti, Yudi Hidayatulloh

Education: Religious Teacher Training (1975)