Production technology of dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.)

Abstract

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp./ Selenicereus spp.) is a perennial climbing cactus belonging to the family Cactaceae. Though the botanical names Hylocereus and Selenicereus were being used as synonyms, the name has been changed to Selenicereus spp. recently. It is commonly known as Pitaya, Pitahaya and Strawberry pear. The fruit has anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, anti-Parkinson and anti-aging properties. The high price and increasing demand for dragon fruit makes it a highly remunerative crop with immense potential for commercialization in Kerala. Dragon fruit has emerged as a promising fruit crop with increasing consumer demand due to its nutritional value, unique appearance, and health benefits. Despite its growing popularity, organized scientific efforts to optimize its cultivation practices under Indian tropical conditions, particularly in Kerala, remains limited. The current study on "Production technology of dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.)" was done at Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur during 2022-2024. The main objective of the study was to develop a package of practices recommendations for dragon fruit cultivation in Kerala, through a series of five independent but interrelated experiments. These experiments focused on the influence of planting time, planting method, fertilizer application, potting media, and foliar nutrition on the growth, yield, and quality of dragon fruit. The planting materials were 3 ft long rooted cuttings of Cambodian Red dragon fruit (purple-fleshed) obtained from the nursery and were planted in containers of 100 L capacity (except for ground planting in Experiment 2). Experiment 5 was conducted in two-year-old plants planted in the same manner. The experiments 1, 2, 3 and 5 were conducted in the field of College Orchard, Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara. Whereas, experiment 4 was conducted in Fruits Crops Research Station, Vellanikkara. The experimental setup employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Potting media consisted of coirpith compost, rocksand, vermicompost, Trichoderma enriched goat manure and bonemeal in the ratio 1:1:1:1:1

(on weight basis) except for experiment 4. At the time of planting, Arbuscular Mycorhizal Fungi (AMF) was applied at a rate of 0.5 kg. For container planting, before filling the media in the containers, cement poles (6 feet height and 4 inch thickness) were erected and centrally positioned in the containers using iron rods. Baby metal was laid at the bottom of the container for proper drainage. Each container was planted with two cuttings and were fastened carefully to the the poles. A spacing of 2 m x 2 m was followed. Irrigation was done as and when required, usually twice a week (when there were no rains), based on moisture levels in the media. Preventive plant protection measures were adopted to reduce the severe incidence of pest and diseases. Manual weeding and application of pre-emergence herbicide like Indaziflam 500 gL-1(Alion 500 SC) were followed to control weeds in the orchard. The first experiment aimed at evaluating the performance of dragon fruit based on month of planting. Planting was done every month starting from January 2023 till December 2023 (T1 to T12). The results indicated that fruiting can be obtained in the same year (within 6 months of planting), if planting was done from January to March. January planting significantly influenced not only the vegetative characters like stem segment length (284.40 cm), stem segment width (6.25 cm), distance between areoles (4.50 cm) and number of branches (37.50) but also the flower production (30.00) and fruit yield (9.40 kg) in the second year. This was followed by February and March plantings. The second experiment dealt with standardizing the most effective planting method for maximizing growth and fruit yield. Four treatments were compared, namely, ground planting with vertical support and a rubber tyre on top (T1), ground planting with vertical support and trailed on a ladder (T2), container planting with vertical support and rubber tyre on top (T3), and container planting with vertical support and trailed on a ladder (T4). Container planting significantly enhanced vegetative growth, root development, and yield compared to ground planting. Treatments with ladder training showed higher number of branches compared to the other treatments initially and became on par with time. Treatments T3 and T4 recorded significantly higher flower production (24.25 and 25.00 respectively), fruit yield (6.94 kg and 6.11 kg respectively),

stem segment length (265.00 cm and 276.38 cm respectively), stem segment width (4.31 cm and 4.62 cm respectively), number of branches (36.25 and 36.00 respectively) and root biomass (164.81 g and 172.23 g respectively). In the third experiment, the effect of application of graded levels of fertilizers on the growth and yield of dragon fruit was investigated. The treatments included three levels of NPK fertilizers, T1 (N 337.5 g: P₂O₅ 262.5 g: K₂O 225 g per pole), T2 (N 225 g: P₂O₅ 175 g: K₂O 150 g per pole), T3 (N 112.5 g: P₂O₅ 87.5 g: K₂O 75 g per pole) and a control (T4) with no fertilizer application. Fertilizers were applied in four splits, i.e., at pre-flowering, fruit set, harvest, and post-harvest. Treatment T1 recorded highest fruit weight (491.75 g), pulp weight (365.75 g), shelf life (7 days), and flushes (7). Treatment T3 showed superior flower production (45.5) and anthocyanin content (329.93 mg/100g). Treatment T2 had higher TSS (15.63 °Brix), chlorophyll (0.14 mg/g), and carotenoids (0.06 mg/100g), though it recorded lower yield compared to T1 and T3. The control (T4) recorded the highest TSS (15.83 °Brix) but with lowest yield (7.29 kg). Thus, T1 is ideal for higher yield, while T2 and T3 enhanced quality traits. The fourth experiment focused on the standardization of suitable potting media composition to support optimal growth of dragon fruit, particularly in systems involving container cultivation. The base medium (P) consisted of coirpith compost, rocksand, vermicompost, Trichoderma-enriched goat manure, and bone meal mixture in equal proportion (T1). This was compared with P supplemented with sawdust (T2), rice husk (T3), and burnt rice husk (T4), respectively. Early flowering was observed across all treatments except T1 (289.50 days), with T2, T3, and T4 showing comparable earliness (254.50, 260.00 and 254.50 days respectively). In the second season, T2 and T3 recorded more flowers (38.28 and 32.25) and higher yields (14.38 and 12.36 kg), followed by T1 and T4. Treatment T3 had the highest number of branches (72.00) and best fruit traits, namely, fruit weight (355.40 g), pulp weight (253.79 g), rind weight (102.00 g), and TSS (13.50 °Brix). Treatment T4 had the highest seed count (54.17) but with lowest yield (10.72 kg). Total sugars were higher in T4 (5.43%) and T2 (5.23%), while chlorophyll peaked in T3 (0.43 mg/g). Anthocyanin content was highest in T2 (360.66 mg/100g). Overall, T3 (P + rice husk) was most effective in supporting yield and fruit quality.

The final experiment assessed the influence of foliar nutrition on the growth and yield of dragon fruit. Four treatments imposed were foliar application of KNO₃ (5g/L) (T1), NPK 13:27:27 (5g/L) (T2), KAU Sampoorna multimix (5g/L) (T3), and control (T4). Earliest flowering was observed in T1, although branch emergence appeared more climate-dependent than treatment-driven. Across two seasons, T3 consistently had the highest flower production (22.00 and 33.75), followed by T1 (20.00 and 29.00) and T2 (18.00 and 31.75). Yield was highest in T1 (6.29 kg and 12.95 kg), followed by T2 and T3. Traits such as fruit weight (490.68 g), pulp weight (378.38 g), rind weight (112.30 g), and TSS (16.49 °Brix) were highest in T1. Treatment T3 had the highest anthocyanin content (241.37 mg/100g), while T2 recorded maximum chlorophyll (0.46 mg/g). Treatment T1 (KNO₃) improved yield and quality and T3 (KAU Sampoorna) enhanced flower production and anthocyanin. The study demonstrated that cuttings planted at the beginning of the year can yield in the same year i.e., within 6 months. Container planting was found to be better compared to ground planting irrespective of the training system. Application of fertilizers at the rate of N 337.5 g: P2O5 262.5 g: K2O 225 g (per pole) in four splits and foliar nutrition with KNO3 (5 g/L) were beneficial in increasing fruit size, yield and quality of fruits. Whereas, NPK 13:27:27 (5g/L) and KAU Sampoorna (5g/L) was found to be beneficial in enhancing flower production and a greater number of medium-sized fruits under tropical humid conditions of Kerala. Rice husk incorporated in the planting media showed better yield and quality parameters. These findings provide region- specific recommendations for improving dragon fruit productivity in Kerala and other similar agro-climatic zones.