NINETEEN years after his retirement, a former Agriculture Department employee is still actively producing durian saplings of various varieties.
Abdul Aziz Deraman, 74, fondly known as Pakjid, said his interest in plant grafting began as a hobby.
He enjoyed grafting various types of saplings and seeing the outcome.
His first attempt involved grafting two types of rambutan saplings, which produced new shoots after about two weeks.
“The success gave me the confidence to keep learning more about tree grafting before I joined the Agriculture Department in 1973,” he told Bernama at his home near Kampung Bukit Bertam, Tanah Merah in Kelantan.
He was assigned grafting work at the department, which gave him the opportunity to further hone his skills in producing quality saplings.
After more than three decades of service, he not only produced thousands of saplings but also shared his knowledge with students and youth in Kelantan interested in learning grafting techniques.
He said to date, he had produced more than 30 varieties of durian saplings through grafting techniques, among them Musang King, Black Thorn, D2 or Dato Nina, D10, D24, D29, D78, D88, D89, D16, Tok Litok, Baserah, Udang Merah, Bunga Merah, F50, Kunyit Satu, Kunyit Dua, Kunyit Chempaka and Kunyit Johor.
“The process of producing saplings starts with sowing seeds in a mixture of soil, rice husks or sand, and fertiliser, before allowing them to grow to about a finger’s breadth.
“When the tree reaches the desired size, grafting is carried out using either the bud grafting or lateral grafting method.
“If everything goes well, new shoots will appear in about 25 days.”
He said each grafting technique had its own method of implementation and required precision, patience and experience to ensure successful results.
Abdul Aziz said he could produce up to 250 saplings a day and currently had some 1,000 saplings of various varieties being grown ahead of a new seeding phase.
“Saplings that are around four months old are suitable for sale, ranging from RM15 to RM150 each depending on variety and size.
“Demand for durian saplings remains strong, particularly for Musang King and Black Thorn varieties, which are the top choices among buyers from across the state,” he said.
On tree care, Abdul Aziz said spraying pesticide should be carried out at least once a week to prevent disease.
“If the plant is not properly cared for, the leaves can turn yellow and become spotted, affecting the tree’s growth and leading to losses.
“I hope more young people will learn grafting techniques because it can generate income and help develop the country’s durian industry,” said Abdul Aziz, who said he earned a four-figure income a month from his venture.
