The world of hybrid plants, vegetables and fruits is bigger than most consumers can imagine.

Consumers generally only see the end products, provided they do end up entering the market by meeting commercial standards.

What we don’t see are the farmers and researchers working behind the scenes to test and develop newer and better designer fruits and plants.

This continuous testing is part and parcel of any market, not just in edibles.

For instance, if you like soya bean milk and also like grass jelly drinks, then one day you might think about what it would taste like if you mixed the two. Well sellers have already been doing that for ages. And it’s quite a refreshing beverage!

Or if you like fried chicken and also like waffles, then you might find that having chicken thigh wrapped in a waffle can be quite the snack.

Research and development is also what led us to jumbo strawberries, square watermelons, lollipeppers, etc.

So it goes without saying that for a fruit known as the “King of Fruits” in Southeast Asia, there would be scientists and farmers working together to see what beauty can arise from cross breeding durians.

This is exactly what MARDI has been experimenting with for decades.

And of the many results that they have studied, 3 became rather promising and was registered with a proper registration code as well. Labelled D188, D189 and D190. With the code names MDUR78, MDUR79 and MDUR88 respectively.

These are all hybrids. MDUR 88 specifically is a blend of D24 and D10. It is more resistant to disease, tend to be bigger in size, higher yield, and has a punchier taste, compare to the other two.

All these factors makes it a more commercially viable durian to bring to the masses.

The MDUR series of durians have been around for a long time. Many farms cultivate them. The widespread adaptation is partly made possible by the good people at MARDI who generously provide the seeds to farmers who would like to plant them.

With the explosive growth of the export market in recent years, the authorities have been cracking their brains on how to meet the overflowing demand for durians local and overseas.

One such strategy was to market other cultivars instead of musang king and black thorn to the local and overseas market.

It seems that now, MDUR88 has become a chosen one. And to make the name more marketable, they rebranded the name from MDUR88 to MS88. With the MS being the acronym for MARDI Super 88.

When you think that China is the 500lb gorilla of the export market, then the number 88 becomes even more appropriate as Chinese culture generally associate the number 8 as auspicious. Double 8 would be like double the auspiciousness.

The fame of D190 MS88 is potentially looking at a steep upward trajectory like the trailing smoke of one of Elon Musk rockets from Space X.

MDUR 88 durian features

The size of MS88 is typically 1kg to 2kg.

The thorns are small yet blocky serving as a reminder to it’s D10 lineage. And mostly evenly sparse along the husk.

The overall shape of the husk with the pointy bottom actually reminds me of a lima jari that has gone through a weight loss program. Yet there’s a roundness to the rind that cannot be observed on limajari.

The yellowish-green husk makes it standout from other durians. But not as extreme yellow as what we can sometimes see on tang lai D232. It also spots a short stem like how it is with khun poh.

Even though MS 88 does not have a a thin husk by durian standards, it is prone to splitting open from the bottom. Indicating that it loses moisture quickly as it ripens off the tree.

However, careful handling does help to prevent a lot of these split bottoms.

The flesh is typical yellow banana. Nothing flashy. Something between LJY and 101.

It has a good yield of fruitlets and is generally considered a sweet durian.

It’s almost as if D190 was specifically fabricated with a design blueprint to meet the many criteria that is favourable for a durian to go mass market.

MDUR 88 harvest season

This is a main season durian. Even though there are plantations all over Malaysia that cultivate it, it has a notably strong presence in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

It is estimated that there are approximately 8,000 MS88 trees in Malaysia. And they are spread out throughout the country in both big and small plantations. A testament to how well the authorities has promoted this cultivar to the farmers.

This is a huge reason why MS88 might make it’s mark on the big stage much quicker than other superstar-wannabes like D214. There are already thousands of old trees producing blockbuster harvests each season.

All it needs now is a marketing push. Something that people will now look to MARDI and Malaysia Tourism to deliver.

The same cannot be said of tupai king where there are much less trees. Further more most of them are very young trees that are not yet capable of producing top quality fruits.

With the plans MARDI has for MS 88, this durian might go mainstream in the next few years. The local fear now might be that most of the supply will be set to make it’s mark in the export market.

The implication might be that the price for local consumers will spike. So do try MS88 before it’s price starts to test the levels of musang king.

The Duriotourism hub in Kuala Kangsar is spearheading the task of making MARDI Super 88 a household name. And it goes without saying that you will most likely to be able to find this durian on a visit to their premises.