The present plantings of citrus in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia have been infected with the greening disease. The area under citrus cultivation has been reduced when farmers convert to intensive cultivation of vegetables and ornamentals. This has created problems in soil erosion with massive cutting of steep slopes into flat areas as well as pesticide pollution of the environment. With the decline in citrus production, a new alternative fruit crop had been introduced to alleviate the problem of soil erosion. This crop - the persimmon - would replace citrus as the main perennial fruit because of its advantages over citrus as follows: 1) Tolerate a wider range of soil types in the highlands, and is less sensitive to micronutrient deficiencies than citrus. The amount of fertiliser is not so high as for citrus. If the soil is fertile, the amount can be greatly reduced. 2) The cost of production is significantly lower than that of citrus with less maintenance and labour requirements in pruning, tree training, fertilisation and pesticide application on the steep terrain. 3) Persimmons do not have severe pests and diseases as in citrus. Moreover, the absence of virus and virus-like pathogens in persimmons is a significant advantage over citrus. Although certain constraints and limitations are also discussed, the persimmon, with a proper selection of a local non-astringent cultivar of large fruit size, would still be one of the most suitable fruit crop for the humid tropical highlands.
