AUTHOR: SUJAN HALDER
Introduction:
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus), introduced as a new crop in areas with little rainfall and rocky, desolate terrain, farmers are quickly adopting dragon fruit as it is a nutrient-dense fruit with several uses. The pulp content in ripe dragon fruit is 70-80%. Red skin with white pulp (Hylocereus undatus), red skin with red pulp (Hylocereus monacanthus), and yellow skin with white pulp (Hylocereus megalanthus) are the three primary varieties of dragon fruit (Nangare et al., 2019). Dragon fruit with red flesh has comparatively high antioxidant content. It has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, neutralize harmful chemicals like heavy metals, and prevent diabetes and colon cancer. It is high in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C. Fruits are low in fat and rich in minerals with the optimum Brix value of 15–18 degrees Brix (Nangare et al., 2019).
Different and Unique Dragon Fruit Varieties to Grow in India:
- Alice Red
- It has deep red skin with a rich, sweet flavour.
- It has a high antioxidant content, making it one of the favourites among pitaya lovers.
- Moroccan Red
- Its flesh is the reddest, and its skin is a vivid red.
- It will give you a slightly crunchy, fresh, and tangy taste.
- Jumbo Red
- Jumbo refers to something that is bigger than any dragon fruit.
- Its size and juiciness can produce a large glass of sweet smoothies.
- Vietnam Red
- Originally from Vietnam, this well-liked species has red flesh.
- Because of its sweet flesh, it has a distinct flavor.
- Red velvet
- Fruit has pink skin, red flesh, and a flavor similar to melon and kiwi.
- Sweet, mildly acidic flavor.
- Siam Red
- fruit with vibrant red skin, sweet flesh, and a refreshing taste.
- Sweet, earthy, mildly acidic, and faintly nutty.
Cultural practices:
Dragon fruit is propagated mostly by vegetative means using cuttings. The entire stem segment or part of the stem segment of 15-30 cm mature cutting should be used to get better plants. To prevent diseases, especially the rots, cuttings are to be treated with copper-based fungicides and kept in a cool, dry area for 5-7 days before planting. The rooted cuttings are ready to transplant in the main field within 30-40 days in the nursery. The recommended spacing of 3.0-4.0 m x 3.0 m provides adequate air circulation and lowers the chances for occurrence of diseases where as in low fertile dryland areas, denser plant population is recommended (3.0 m x 2.5 m spacing) to compensate the yield reduction per unit area (Nangare et al., 2019).
Training and pruning:
As the dragon fruit is a climbing cacti, the vine needs concrete, wooden posts for support. For aerial roots to grow and adhere to the column, the immature stem needs to be connected to it. Only two to three primary stems are permitted to grow, while lateral shoots are prohibited. The column selected must have long durability and strength to carry the weight of the vine canopy of more than 100 kg; hence, concrete or hard timber posts are recommended. For this, mostly the cement pole with 2 m height is used, and it should be buried 30-40 cm in the ground. The concrete circular or rectangular frame or tyre is fixed on the top of the pole for drooping the stems downward. The supporting post should be erected prior to the planting to make it firm and enable the vine to climb. Four plants should be planted around each post. Planting is usually done during the rainy season, followed by making proper ridges 50 cm in height to give support to the plants. The four cuttings per pole are planted. As the vines grow very fast, the chances of lodging and falling to the ground increases. Thus, tying the vines and regular trimming of the lateral branches an essential operations to avoid this problem. A number of branches need to be brought down to 30-50 by trimming the unwanted branches, and cut ends must be treated with a fungicide (Luders, 2004).
Nutrient management:
For greater production, dragon fruit needs a judicious application of manures and fertilizers. In the initial stage, more nitrogen should be applied for good vegetative growth, and in the later stages, more amounts of phosphorus and potash should be applied. The application of Calcium and other micronutrients is beneficial for this crop. The growth and development of dragon fruit are significantly influenced by organic matter. Each plant should be applied with 10 to 15 kg of organic manures. As these types of lands have very poor soil fertility therefore initially 10-15 kg FYM and 100 g SSP/ plant hill are required at the time of planting. The application of chemical fertilizers should be practiced 2 to 3 months after planting a dragon fruit when the plant starts gaining growth. Depending upon the type of soil, chemical fertilizers should be given. During the first two years, 500 g urea and 500 g Phosphorus, and 300 g potash should be applied to each pole per year in four splits at three-month intervals. After it has been in the ground for a year or more, the dragon fruit’s roots have become established and are demanding more nutrients from the soil. Plants grow faster and need more nutrition. After two years, each pole having four plants should be fertilized with 800 g N, 900 g P, and 550 g K per pole per year, which should be well distributed in six splits. Nutrients should be supplied both through basal as well as by fertigation through a drip system installed at the top of the pole to feed aerial roots. The combined application of inputs such as FYM, enriched compost, and non-edible oilcakes has shown effectiveness in nutrient supply and soil-borne disease management under organic production systems. Additionally, enriched microbial cultures like jeevamrit and Ghana jeevamrit, prepared using cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, and pulse flour, serve as microbial enhancers for native nutrient supply. (Parveen, 2017).
Water management:
As the crop belongs to the Cactaceae family, the best part of this crop is that it requires extremely less amount of water during the most critical water availability period from March to June. From June onward, flowering starts in this crop and continues till October. Irrigation is applied whenever there is a long dry spell. However, in general, the crop is subjected to water stress in the pre-bloom period from April- May to produce more flowers. During fruit development, soil moisture is maintained using a drip irrigation system. The first and second years require 1000–1500 liters of irrigation per pole annually. In India, flowering and fruiting coincide with the rainy season, so that the excess moisture and water logging condition due to high rainfall is avoided. For that, proper drainage is provided around the plant/pole (Kishore, 2016).
Flowering and fruiting:
Pollination is often challenging due to the nocturnal nature of the flowers and the scarcity of pollinators. Dragon fruit flowers are naturally pollinated by bats, honey bees, hawk moths, and certain insects. Manual pollination, sometimes necessary for quality fruit, involves smearing pollen onto the stigma or depositing pollen directly (Parveen et al., 2017). Dragon fruit flowers bloom at night, and it is white in colour. Their fragrance helps to attract pollinators. Honey bee (Apis cerana), little honey bee (Apis florea), and Rock bee (Apis dorsata) are effective to pollinate the dragon fruit during the early hours of morning. As first flowering initiates after a long dry spell large number of flowers will be observed on every plant. The thinning of flowers should be done so as to maintain a maximum of 80 flowers on each pole at a time. Attention should also be given to removing fruits adjoining one another on the same branch. 30 to 35 days after flowering, the fruits will be fully ripe. Due to being indeterminate in nature, dragon fruit used to flower and fruit at the same time. When a fruit’s color changes from green to red, it should be covered with cotton bags to prevent bugs and birds from damaging it. (Parveen et al., 2018).
Weed management:
Weed management in dragon fruit cultivation can be effectively addressed through various cultural and mechanical practices. These include techniques such as creating a stale seedbed, manual weeding, and employing mechanical tillage interventions. Additionally, practices such as using cover crops, intercropping, and mulching with crop residues can also help control weed growth. Mulching around the plant base is particularly beneficial in areas with prolonged dry seasons, aiding in soil moisture retention. Materials like straw or water-fern can be utilized to cover the plant base or mulch the bed surface, providing an effective weed management solution (Parveen et al., 2018).
Pest and Disease Management:
Fruit Flies:
Symptoms: Larvae infest the fruit, causing rotting and premature fruit drop.
Management:
- Use fruit fly traps with pheromones.
- Remove and destroy infested fruits.
- Apply Chlorantraniliprole 10 % + Lambda Cyhalothrin 5% ZC @ 1 ml/litre of water.
- Practice good field sanitation.
Mealybugs:
Symptoms: White, cottony masses on stems and fruits; sap-sucking leads to weakened plants.
Management:
- Introduce natural predators like ladybugs or lacewings.
- Spray Imidacloprid 17.8 % SL @ 1 ml/litre of water.
- Remove heavily infested plant parts.
Scale Insects:
Symptoms: Small, hard-shelled insects on stems; yellowing and wilting of plants.
Management:
- Scrub off scales with a soft brush.
- Apply Fipronil 5% SC @ 1.5 ml/litre of water.
- Prune and destroy heavily infested stems.
Aphids:
Symptoms: Clusters of small insects on new growth; sticky honeydew secretion leading to sooty mold, which hampers photosynthesis and reduces the yield.
Management:
- A strong jet of water from a hose can be used to control aphids.
- Use Diafenthiuron 50 % WP @ 12.5 gm / 15 liter of water.
- Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs.
Common Diseases of Dragon Fruit Plants:
Stem Rot: (Caused by fungi like Fusarium spp. or Phytophthora spp.)
Symptoms: Soft, water-soaked lesions on stems; yellowing and wilting.
Management:
- Avoid overwatering and ensure proper drainage.
- Remove and destroy infected plant parts.
- Apply fungicides like copper-based products.
- Apply Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC @ 1.5 ml/litre of water.
Anthracnose: (Caused by Colletotrichum spp.)
Symptoms: Dark, sunken lesions on stems and fruits; fruit rot.
Management:
- Prune to improve air circulation.
- Apply copper-based fungicide sprays.
- Remove and destroy infected plant material.
- Apply Cymoxanil 8% + Mancozeb 64% WP @ 1.5 ml/litre of water.
Bacterial Soft Rot: (Caused by Erwinia spp.)
Symptoms: Soft, mushy stems with a foul odor.
Management:
- Avoid overwatering and ensure good drainage.
- Remove and destroy infected stems.
- Disinfect tools to prevent spread.
- Soil drenching and spray Copper Oxychloride 4 gm + Streptomycin 2 ml per litre of water.
Fusarium Wilt: (Caused by Fusarium oxysporum)
Symptoms: Yellowing and wilting of stems; vascular discoloration.
Management:
- Use disease-free planting material.
- Practice crop rotation.
- Apply 50% tebuconazole + 25% trifloxystrobin @ 0.6 gm/litre of water.
Harvesting:
Harvesting typically takes place in 6-7 flushes from July to November. The outer skin of immature fruit appears brilliant green during the earliest stages of fruit development and eventually turns red as the ripening process advances. After blossoming, the dragon fruit takes 30 to 35 days to develop. Fruit can be harvested three to four days after the skin color changes from green to red or pink for the local market and a day after the color change for export or distant markets. (Nangare et al., 2019).
Yield:
Dragon fruit starts fruiting from the second year onwards, while the potential average yield of 12-15 t/ha can be expected from tthe hird year onwards with the recommended package and practices (Nangare et al., 2019).
References:
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