On April 4, 2022, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation together with the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), Mrs. Kullaprapa Navanugraha, Vice President of NSTDA, Dr. Natthaphop Suwannamek, Researcher of Textiles Research Team, Advanced Polymer Technology Research Group of MTEC, together with Assist. Prof. Dr. Lampan Khurnpoon of Science Program in Plant Production Technology, School of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), and Mr. Peerapun Chivapornthip, Managing Director of Salee Colour Public Company Limited, the company that received technology transfer of “Magik Growth” products, and Miss Orathai Euatrakul, a former expert in the import and export system of plants and inputs, handed over an innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” to Miss Nuannapha Charoenruay, owner of Nuannapha Durian Orchard “Shan-hi Style Garden” at Wang Wa Subdistrict, Klaeng District, Rayong Province.
Mrs. Kullaprapa Navanugraha said that NSTDA aims to perform research and expand technology demonstration area in order to test the performance of the Magik Growth product and increase the value of durian, the world’s top exporting economic fruit. An innovative durian wrap bag Magik Growth has been developed by Textiles Research Team, Advanced Polymer Technology Research Group of MTEC with the collaboration of the School of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, which the field testing has been carried out since 2019 and the research data is continually recorded. Magik Growth can be reused for 2 seasons, thus helping farmers to save costs. It is environmentally friendly since the use of pesticides would be reduced. Also, the durian could be sold as premium grade due to the heavier weight and higher quality of durian fruit skin. In 2021, MTEC transferred technology to Salee Colour Public Company Limited for production and distribution in the country. This undertaking is in line with the BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economic model proclaimed by the government as a national agenda. An innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” conforms to ‘Circular Economy’ since various materials can be reused and it also conforms to ‘Green Economy’ since it focuses on solving pollution problems, as well as drives the development of the Thai economy to achieve sustainable growth. NSTDA also operates in the area of the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi). The delivery of Magik Growth also marked the beginning of EECi, which is an innovative area located in Wang Chan District, Rayong Province.
Dr. Natthaphop Suwannamek of MTEC said that in 2021, durian is the second largest export crop, but durian farmers are still suffering from pests and rodents that destroy durians. Most farmers, therefore, solved these problems by using chemical pesticides to spray on the durians, which increases costs and creates health risks.
To solve all the aforementioned problems, MTEC research team had thus developed a polymer compound formula together with nonwoven forming technology to produce nonwoven materials that have the property to allow water and air to pass through easily, as well as can select the light range that is suitable for the photoreceptor cells on the fruit surface. The prototype of this product is called “Magik Growth”. This innovative nonwoven fruit wrapping bag helps create value-added for fruits. Durians wrapped in the Magik Growth bags could create important substances, such as starch, sugar, and various antioxidants. The “Magik Growth” has been field tested by the School of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang at the durian garden, Klaeng District, Rayong Province. Key research data has been systematically collected since 2019. Furthermore, “Magik Growth” can be reused for 2 seasons, thus helping farmers to save costs, and is environmentally friendly since the use of pesticides is reduced.
In addition, wrapping durians with an innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” has the advantage of increasing the weight of durians indicated by research results in 2021, the weight of durian has increased by 17.7% from 6 durian plantations in Rayong province and 14.4% from the durian orchards in 4 areas in Narathiwat Province. Currently, there are private companies that have received technology transfer and are producing Magik Growth for distribution.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Lampan Khurnpoon said that KMITL research team, has been collaborating with MTEC research team in this project to expand the use of this innovative nonwoven fruit wrapping bag to increase the quality of life of durian farmers. Four colors of “Magik Growth” (blue, white, black, and red) have been tested and compared at Nuannapha Durian Orchard at Wang Wa Subdistrict, Klaeng District, Rayong Province in the last season. The work was done to compare the quality of unwrapped durians, durians wrapped in conventional agricultural net and durians that use Magik Growth wrap bags. Humidity and temperature profiles throughout the wrapping period had been recorded. The results from testing for 3 consecutive production seasons indicated that the red Magik Growth durians wrap bags yielded the best result since it helps increase the size of durian fruit, as well as significantly increase the amount of durian pulp. According to the data from the test in 2021, the weight of unwrapped fresh durian fruit was 3.56 kg, compared to the one wrapped with Magik Growth bags which had an average weight of 4.05 kg. The durian peel thickness was found that the unwrapped fruits were 1.36 cm thick, while those wrapped in Magik Growth bags were only 1.01 cm thick, and once measure the durian weight of unpacking (control), the durian weights 290 grams, while the wrapped durian with Magik Growth has a weight up to 379 grams.
More importantly, it was found that the durians wrapped in Magik Growth had a 30% thinner peel thickness, resulting in a 10% increase in the total weight of the durian fruit with more firmness and yellow flesh color. It was also found that wrapping the fruit with Magik Growth had no effect on the aging of durian fruits on the tree. The wrapped fruit would increase dry weight accumulation and once stored at room temperature, durian fruits wrapped in Magik Growth would ripen about 2 days later than unwrapped ones.”
However, the highlight of the durians wrapped in Magik Growth is the beautiful greenish-yellow color of the peel, which is the nature of the fruit’s skin color. The skin is beautiful, although it doesn’t look like an old durian, the products that have been tested for many production seasons are of standard quality.
Miss Nuannapha Charoenruay, the owner of Nuannapha Durian Orchard “Shan-hi Style Garden” at Wang Wa Subdistrict, Klaeng District, Rayong Province, said that she is a new durian gardener and has started durian planting in 2011 and received the first harvest in the next 5 years. In her durian orchard, durian trees are planted in clumps (1 hump 3 trees) to help support the trunk so that it doesn’t fall easily and reduce the amount of fruiting on the plant, which makes the tree not shabby after harvesting the produce, as well as focus on pruning the tree to have a height of not more than 6 meters. Her almost 10 years of durian planting experience indicated that durian is a plant that requires very good care at every step. Miss Nuannapha, therefore, intended to reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides for disease and insect problems, especially during the fruit development stage (65-70 days, which durian has a size of a 1.5-liter or equal to a bottle of soft drink), which is the stage that the fruit accumulates starch before turning into sugar when ripe (110-120 days). However, during its development stage, durian fruit is often damaged by durian borer or nest worm, mealybug, and black mold, which causes dwarf and small durian fruit, as well as the quality of durian fruits might not be acceptable to the consumers. During the last season, Miss Nuannapha has learnt about the innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” from MTEC research team and the professor from KMITL that the innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” not only helps reduce the use of chemicals and effectively prevents durian borer, mealybugs, and black mold but also helps produce durians with beautiful skin and good weights, as well as helps increase durian pulp.
Miss Nuannapha said that previously she used agricultural net bags to wrap durians to prevent pests instead of spraying chemicals, which helps prevent the worm nest but cannot prevent mealybug and black mold. However, such practice causes the durian skin to be unattractive and damaged. On the contrary, when we started using “Magik Growth”, it was found that not only the cost of chemicals was reduced about 6 times but the problems from mealybugs and black mold had been eliminated, thus producing durians with beautiful skin and effective qualities. These results have created consumers’ confidence in consuming durian that is safe. Moreover, the increased fruit weight has allowed farmers to earn more income, as well as reduced the use of chemicals, which created a better quality of life and a better garden environment. The practice is considered to create sustainability for the modern durian farmers, especially if there is any problem in the future, e.g., the durian price crisis, and it allow farmers to be secure in the business. This year, 2022, is the first year to sell durians that use an innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” and she has planned to export them to China, which has already contacted her for purchasing.
Mr. Peerapun Chivapornthip, Managing Director of Salee Colour Public Company Limited, the technology transfer company of “Magik Growth” products, said that 5 years ago, Salee Colour Public Company Limited had chosen an innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” of MTEC, which have been experimenting with durian farmers in the network of MTEC, NSTDA for almost 4 years and the results came out satisfactory both the quality of the bags that can be used for a long time, can be reused for up to 2 years, and the efficiency of the wrapping bags can produce the durian with high quality. At present, Magik Growth or innovative durian wrap bags are produced for distribution to durian farmers and interested parties can buy them from his company, and recently available at distribution channels in modern trade stores, such as HomePro. Normally, the company had imported all innovative products from other countries; however, “Magik Growth” was the first Thai innovation that the company bought the rights for distribution. The company believes that innovative products must have partners who have the same goal, which MTEC has met this criterion.
Miss Orathai Euatrakul, a former expert in the import and export system of plants and factors of production, said that it was her first time to see durian wrapping technique and she found that this innovative durian wrap bags would help export, especially the issue of phytosanitary, which foreign countries considered an important issue. Using durian wrap bags helps reduce the use of chemicals and the problem of pests that destroy durian fruits. Therefore, it should be encouraged to continue to maintain export standards, especially the problem of pests and residues in durian, thus allowing the chance of increasing export of durians. Currently, China and Japan have contacted to purchase durians that are wrapped with an innovative durian wrap bag “Magik Growth” from Miss Nuannapha Durian Orchard because they believe in the standard and the reduction of chemicals in the production process.
BCG Economic Model
The BCG economic model is a government policy proclaimed as a national agenda to drive the development of the Thai economy and create more income for people by building on the country’s strengths in terms of biodiversity and culture, which consists of (1.) Bioeconomy (Bioeconomy) to add value to resources, (2.) Circular Economy (Circular Economy) by reusing various materials for efficient use, and (3.) Green Economy (Green Economy) focuses on solving pollution problems to reduce the impact on the world by relying on science, technology, and innovation as an important mechanism to change the old economy from ‘Do more but get less’ to ‘Do less but get more’ to enable Thailand’s economy to develop sustainable growth.
