Artocarpus odoratissimus trunk damage

[HI_Chris]

After 5 years, my artocarpus odoratissimus finally had some female blossoms and I was anxiously waiting for my first taste of marang.  Yesterday, though, a branch that was heavy with over a dozen fruit ripped off of the trunk.  Picture of branch on the ground, and gaping hole in trunk, below.
My question: what is the best treatment, if any, for the damage to the trunk?

[Finca La Isla]

That’s unfortunate!
Really, I don’t think you have to do anything. That spot should cure alright. But if I were going to apply something in that case it would be calcium carbonate with a little copper sulphate.
Peter

[TropicalFruitHunters]

That really sucks dude!  Hope other branches are holding fruit.  Odd that you posted this.  I was tugging on a branch on my marang and it tore off the trunk a lot easier than I imagined.  The wood at this age doesn't seem all that strong.

[brian]

The moss on your trunk is really neat looking.

Sorry about the lost branch, though. I am shocked at how fragile some trees are, for example my rollinia branches will snap with the slightest bump.  My marang branches look pretty fragile too but I haven't had to mess with it much so I haven't broken any yet.

[HI_Chris]

Thanks a lot for the advice (and the sympathy) -- I'll leave it alone but will watch it closely for potential problems.

I guess the marang branches are as brittle as my other big-leafed artocarpus -- the breadfruit.  I was hoping it would do better because the smaller branches on that limb, with fruit on them, were supple and good about bending down.  Right now there are only two other fruit on the tree, but if I get another heavily-laden branch, I might end up propping it up. 

The smaller-leafed artocarpus that I have (jackfruit, cempedak and cheena) all have a smoother kind of branch which seems to be very tough, and quite different from the marang and breadfruit branches.

[cassowary]

Marang is susceptible to Phellinus noxius-root rot, it can also start above ground, saw that on a breadfruit.
But maybe you don't have P. noxius where you live.

I spray some 1% hydrogen peroxide and then spray some diluted copper sulfate.

[brian]

Yeah my jackfruit and kwai muk branches are flexible and strong.  Very different

[BigIslandGrower]

Excellent growth for 5 years.  The tree will be fine.  Now you know to thin fruit sets in the future if they're heavy.  Easy to see now after the fact that this broken branch wasn't big and strong enough to hold so many fruits.