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STARFRUIT

Starfruit or Carambola is an attractive small tree, 5-12 metres tall, with clusters of small lilac-coloured flowers borne on leafy twigs. The fleshy five-angled fruits have sweet to sour taste. It is easily cultivated and fruiting is non seasonal.

The Portuguese traders introduced this fruit to Africa and South America from India and in fact carambola is a Portuguese word meaning "food appetizer". In Malaysia starfruit is grown in four main areas, namely the Federal Territory, Petaling district in Selangor, Muar and Batu Pahat districts in Johore.

Several clones have been registered with the Department of Agriculture Malaysia of which only four are recommended for planting.

SOIL AND WEATHER REQUIREMENT

Stafruit grows well in a wide variety of soil except low-lying and poorly drained areas. It prefers well drained soil of light to medium texture with a pH 5 - 6.5. It requires adequate moisture throughout the year to yield well.

The usual mode of propogation is by vegetative means where budgrafting is normally used. Budgrafted plants flower and fruit as early as 14 months after field planting. Carambola is planted at a spacing of 6 x 6 meter square giving about 278 plants an hectare. The planting hole is 0.6m x 0.6m x0,6m and 5 kg. of chicken/cowdung and 500 gm. of triple superphosphate are applied per hole. A drip or jet irrigation is used to water the trees.

For the first year, a compound fertilizer consisting of nitrogen, phosphate and potash in the ratio of 15:15:15 is recommended. From the second year, when fruiting has begun a ratio of 12:12:17:2 plus trace elements should be used.

The trees are ring weeded bimonthly. Avenue weeds can be controlled with herbicide.

Starfruit is relatively free of any serious deseases. Dieback of young shoots (Rhizopus) occur under prolonged periods of wet weather and crowded canopy conditions. Spraying with any copper based fungicides such as coprantol and calixin helps reduce the incidence of this disease. Leaf spot or Cercospera averhoae, also during wet weather causes some defoliation. This can be controlled by spraying with difolaton.

The most serious pest is the oriental fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis Herd.) which can be controlled by collection and burial of all infested fruits, bagging the fruits about three weeks after fruit set when 3-4 cm long. Use of protein bait sprays is a very effective method of controlling the flies without affecting pollination. Besides this we have the fruit borer (Cryptophlebia encorpa meyr.) which tunnel into and feed on both green and ripe fruits. Young fruits abort if attacked while the ripe fruits are unsaleable. Borers are generally under control and do not cause more than 5 % damage per season. Occasionally, however, the borer population increases and cause 60% or more damage. Spraying with methamidophos orthene (acephate) will help.

HARVESTING

The starfruit is non-seasonal and usually gives 3-5 crops per year. The fruits take between 40-50 days to ripen from fruit set. The best stage for picking is when the fruits are just begining to ripen and turning from pale green to slightly yellow.

The fruits are packed in boxes or baskets for transportation. Storage length of mature fruit is 9 weeks at 5 degree Celcius.

Year 2 - 3 - 16 - 18 tonnes per hectare

Year 4 - 7 - 40 - 55 tonnes per hectare

Year 8 onwards - 60 - 70 tonnes per hectare

Fresh consumption

Processed products: jam, confectionary, jelly, candy, juice, and fruit canned in syrup.

Processed Product According To Type of Fruits.