The Dragon fruit comes from decorative mountain climbing vines and the Cactaceae species. Dragon fruit manufacturing can supply farmers greater profits, specifically in the export market.
Dragon fruit can be propagated by means of seeds, micro-propagation, or by way of plants. Dragon Fruit, additionally known as Pitaya, is a cactus fruit that is scrumptious and nutritious.
Like different cacti, it is effortless to grow. Both vegetation and fruits are edible. Dragon fruit bears fruit for many months every year, and with suitable care and cultural conditions, it can proceed to endure fruit for decades. Let’s test out the top 15 steps to raise Dragon fruit yield.
Top 15 steps to raise Dragon fruit yield
Step 1: Dragon fruit range selection
There are three sorts of Dragon fruit in the Hylocereus genus and one species in the Selenicereus genus. All three species, such as Hylocereus guatemalensis, Hylocereus polyrhizus, and Hylocereus undatus, and additionally Hybrids are commercially grown worldwide.
Below we describe the kinds of Dragon fruit based totally on their color;
• Red Dragon Fruit – Red Dragon fruit grows on thin, tall, creeping cactus that regularly develop on fences, trees, or walls. The long, brightly coloured fruits are about 10 cm lengthy and can weigh up to a pound.
• Green Dragon Fruit – Dragon fruit produced by means of Bruni Green Dragon Fruit is green. Bruni inexperienced is a fantastically high-yielding, self-pollinating variety, small in dimension and weighing an common of 0.3 – 0.7 pounds.
• White Dragon Fruit – This Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit grown in Central America, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Australia. It has a moderate candy style and texture between kiwi and pear fruit.
• Yellow Dragon fruit – Yellow Dragon fruit is lengthy in form and barely smaller in dimension than most frequent crimson varieties. Their dimension relies upon on the climate conditions, and they are regularly divided into three distinctive dimension groups.
• Pink Dragon Fruit – The advantages of red Dragon fruit are candy and low in calories, and prosperous in antioxidants.
• Purple Dragon Fruit – It is one of the world’s most stunning and scrumptious fruits.
• Black Dragon Fruit – Black Dragon fruit is challenging to describe in phrases of Dragon fruit taste. It tastes barely sweet, subtle on the tongue, and like a uncooked pear.
Step 2: Soil and local weather is the primary issue for profitable cultivation
You can develop this fruit in more than a few soils, from sandy loam to loamy soil. The perfect soil for Dragon cultivation is sandy soil with true natural depend and an first-rate drainage system. For Dragon fruit farming, a pH degree of 5.5 to 7 is best. Dragon fruit vegetation can tolerate soil; however, they develop properly in well-drained soil. Water-retaining soils can purpose root rot, and to keep away from this poisonous element, soil can be combined with sand or small gravel to facilitate drainage.
It is a tropical fruit with a moderate local weather all yr round. Dragon fruit adapts properly to tropical climates. It is a tropical fruit that prefers heat temperatures. Therefore, an surroundings the place the wintry weather temperature does no longer fall under 40⁰F is appropriate for this plant. The location with an annual rainfall of 500-1500 mm is viewed perfect for industrial farming. It does now not tolerate excessive humidity. Excess moisture motives plants to fall and roots to rot. Therefore, it is fundamental to maintain the soil dry.
Step 3: Method of Dragon Fruit Plantation
The most frequent technique of propagating Dragon fruit is cutting. But the seeds take a lengthy time. Therefore, the seed plantation technique is unsuitable if you begin a industrial Dragon fruit farm. If you favor the full advantages of Dragon fruit farming, you need to use plant cuttings from a widespread mom plant. You must use 20 cm cuttings for planting in the area and want to pile the cuttings two days earlier than planting.
After that, practice them with a combination of dry cow dung. It would assist if you stored a plant-to-plant distance of about two meters x two meters. For the measurement of the pit, dig about 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm. Also, you will want to fill these pits with topsoil and fertilizer, which includes a hundred grams of superphosphate. You can plant about 1700 vegetation on 1 acre of land.
Step 4: Methods of developing Dragon fruit
There are two approaches to develop Dragon fruit; the first is via the use of seeds, and the 2d is with the aid of reducing from the plant sampling. It takes about three years for the seeds to mature sufficient for the plant to be used, so farmers generally choose for the reducing method. The plant ought to be 20 cm long, reduce from the mom plant.
The area between flowers relies upon on whether or not the help is vertical or horizontal. In vertical support, the distance between plant life ought to be 2-3 meters, while in horizontal support, the distance is decreased to about 50 cm, permitting deep cultivation. The vertical guide ought to be between 1 and 1.20 meters, whilst the horizontal assist need to be between 1.40 and 1.60 meters for suited growth.
Step 5: Dragon fruit drop
There are many motives for the Dragon fruit drop, such as;
• The lack of water
• Too an awful lot water
• Not ample nutrients
• Insect and Fungi
Step 6: Irrigation administration for fruit growth
Dragon fruit, a cactus, requires lots much less water than different crops/fruits. It can continue to exist for months except water. The best-recommended irrigation approach is drip irrigation. Irrigation via flooding is no longer encouraged for dragons as it wastes water and will increase the endeavor of weeds. On hot/dry days, about 1 to two liters of water per plant is sufficient.
Depending on your soil, climate, and plant health, the want for water might also enlarge or decrease. For example, dragon vegetation can continue to exist with very little rainfall and many months of drought, and a suitable furnish of water is wished when appropriate nice fruit is required.
Step 7: Support for enhancing crop yield
As a mountaineering cactus, the Dragon fruit plant desires some assist to grow. You can installation it below trails, alongside fences, or with wood stakes or mountain climbing poles with correct results.
Step 8: Weed manage for top results
Weed manage is an indispensable manner in the cultivation of Dragon fruit, and the use of herb mats correctly reduces the increase of weeds and helps keep soil moisture.
Step 9: Reasons why Dragon does no longer endure fruit
There are some feasible motives why your Dragon will no longer endure fruit. The most possibly purpose is terrible developing conditions. If it is cold, convey your plant indoors or, higher yet, take it to the greenhouse to promote flower and fruit production. Another frequent hassle is light. Dragon fruit wants a lot of mild to grow, and specially if you are preserving your self indoors, that may additionally no longer be enough. Make positive your plant is the place the solar rises for six hours daily. If you can’t control it indoors, maintain it underneath brilliant lights
It is additionally feasible that your Dragon fruit might also now not endure fruit due to a lack of moisture. Because it is a cactus, many gardeners accept as true with that Dragon does no longer want tons water. It continues its soil continuously moist and watered about an inch (2.5 cm) per week. Dragon fruits are typically produced solely in summer time when the excessive temperature and the days are extended. If it is winter, you will no longer see any fruit. However, you can prolong the fruit season by way of including the above elements
Dragon reaches early maturity and need to endure fruit for 20 to 30 years with perfect care. Although, appropriate protection is critical. Plants are very tall and can develop up to forty toes in length. It would assist if you gave your cactus a long, robust path to climb to motivate fruit planting. Permanently do away with broken or dying branches. Cut off the tops of the top branches to inspire extra lateral boom and fruit growth.
Step 10: Reasons for Dragon plant’s now not bloom
When Dragon doesn’t bloom, plant care and the surroundings may additionally want a little adaptation. The following hints can assist with Dragon care. If your Dragon does now not bloom, attempt to pass the plant to a hotter or safer environment. If the temperature degree drops beneath 18°C, the stipulations can be very cold. Some specialists pick to develop Dragon fruit in the greenhouse. Light a highlight or brilliant outside mild on the plant for two hours every night time if necessary. In its herbal environment, the Dragon fruit cactus grows woodland trees.
Provide a robust trellis for your Dragon, then dispose of the decrease stems from the place the plant reaches the trellis. Next, in many instances trim any useless or broken growth. Otherwise, your plant will deplete a lot of strength repairing the damage. Finally, permit your plant to dry barely from late spring to early summer. Although Dragon like a lot of moisture, they can assist loosen the dry season.
Dragon grows in ancient leaves and different natural depend in its herbal environment. Feed your plant with natural fertilizer. If necessary, alter the soil with fertilizer or mulch. You can additionally pile dry leaves, fertilizer, or natural remember round the base of the plant as soon as or twice a year.
Step 11: Training and pruning for Dragon fruit development
Dragon’s right coaching and pruning attain early maturity. If you don’t instruct it properly, it will bend down earlier than accomplishing the pinnacle of the trellis. Tying it to the trellis as the Dragon fruit grows helps its upward growth. Many aspect shoots that show up in the early ranges have to be removed. Be cautious when slicing the facet shoot and now not harm the principal shoot. To preserve your plant disease-free and develop top on its guide system, reduce off any dead, dying, diseased, or overgrown branches.
If you fail to prune your Dragon fruit cactus, fungal disorder and pest infestation will increase. In addition, it can end result in terrible get entry to to mild for tangled core stems, affecting fruit production. Regular pruning additionally encourages flower boom and prevents the plant from turning into too heavy for its developing trails.
If you are fortunate (or have a small plant), you can run away with an annual pruning session, which can be achieved after you harvest the fruit. First, reduce off your Dragon fruit plant’s useless or broken branches and stems. It will assist your plant center of attention its vitamins on developing fruits as an alternative of attempting to use that strength to heal broken plant parts.
Step 12: Fertilizers and manures amplify the productiveness of the Dragon fruit farm
Proper diet is required for higher crop yields. The root machine of the Dragon fruit plant is superficial and can take in even the smallest quantity of vitamins quickly. Organic fertilizers play an necessary position in the suitable increase and improvement of the plant. Treat every plant with at least 10 to 15 kg of natural compost. Fertilizer ratio is Muriate of Potash: Super Phosphate: Urea = 40:90:70 grams / plant.
Different fertilizers need to be utilized from flowering to harvesting stages, such as urea: superphosphate: Muriate of potash = 50: 50: a hundred grams/plant. This fertilizer answer can be given earlier than flowering, earlier than fruiting, and after harvesting. It can enlarge the Dragon fruit farm productivity.
Step 13: Dragon fruit flower buds flip yellow
Dragon flower buds will flip yellow for a few reasons. The first cause is that they can’t be fertile. If so, you will want to cross-pollinate the flowers. Another motive is that terrible climate stipulations can be very moist or very dry, in which case you have to make positive that you are no longer pouring too a good deal water, and if the temperature is too hot, then the plant have to be uncovered to direct sunlight. Finally, you may additionally have a sterile plant that should be cross-pollinated.
Step 14: Pest and disorder administration for growing crop yield
This crop is free from pests and diseases. Proper drainage amenities and dry, shady areas for plant life are best for safety in opposition to pests and diseases. Wild animals may additionally discover your Dragon fruit crop desirable relying on the place you live. Dragon vegetation are captivating to ants, mealybugs, mites, and slugs. Stem and fruit canker and rot can additionally be a hassle for Dragon fruit cacti. Ensure Dragon receives the proper quantity of sun, moisture, and air circulation to keep away from this problem.
Step 15: Harvesting time improves crop yield
Harvesting Dragon fruit takes 27-30 days for the fruit to develop fully. Therefore, dragon fruits have to be picked as quickly as they are absolutely developed, as a extend of four to 5 days can motive them to rot. The yield per hectare can fluctuate from 10 to 30 hectares relying on the conditions. The approach of lifting it is to pull it through rotating it clockwise.
Cultivate Dragon fruit when its pores and skin colour adjustments from brilliant inexperienced to purple or pink. The fruit is oval, 10 to 15 cm long, and varieties 30 to 50 days after flowering. Dragon fruit per carp is hard and is purple in color. However, there are additionally one-of-a-kind sorts of purple or yellow Dragon fruit.
