DRAGON FRUIT is a super fruit newly introduced to the Kenyan market. The attractive fruit color and delicious pulp with edible black seeds in the pulp, high nutritional values, excellent export potential, and very high-yield characteristics make it a favorite among dragon fruit farming growers.
Dragon fruit is an exotic tropical plant that offers many benefits to human health, including powerful nutritional value and bioactive compounds, including potent natural antioxidants. It is a climbing cactus belonging to the cactus family (Pat Wary et al., 2013). It is an attractive plant because of its exotic appearance and faces post-harvest losses.
Dragon fruit farming is the trending among growers in tropical and subtropical regions. The Genus Hylocereusis plant is a long-day plant and tolerant of drought conditions and resistant to pests and diseases. Thus, this type of plant adapts to various marginal soil conditions, such as neglected mine areas where other cash crops are not suitable for cultivation. the plant can survive in a dry zone. Research findings revealed the genotype “pitaya” (Hylocereus SPP.). The type of dragon fruit which is commercially grown is the fruit of the red dragon.
Health benefits of dragon fruits.
There are many potential health benefits associated with dragon fruit farming, including:
1. Rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and betacyanin. These naturally occurring substances protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals—molecules that can lead to diseases such as cancer and premature aging.
2. It contains prebiotics, which are foods that feed the healthy bacteria known as probiotics in your intestine. Having more prebiotics in your system can improve the balance between good and bad bacteria in your bowels. In particular, the dragon’s fruit stimulates the growth of probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
3. It’s naturally fat-free and high in fiber. It makes for a good snack because it can help keep you full for longer between meals
4. It can strengthen your immune system. Dragon fruit is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which are good for your immune system.
5. It can boost your iron levels. Iron is important for moving oxygen through your body and giving you energy, and dragon fruit has iron. And the vitamin C in dragon fruit helps your body take in and use iron.
6. It may help lower your blood sugar. Researchers say this might be partly because it replaces damaged cells in your pancreas that make insulin, the hormone that helps your body break down sugar.
Propagation of dragon fruit plant.
The the plant can be reproduced by cuttings or seeds. Starting with cuttings is best because they develop and fruit more quickly than seedlings. For dragon fruit cuttings, cut a new piece of growth from a dragon fruit plant. It should be 6 to 8 inches in length. Then, at the bottom inch, cut all three ridges to expose the fibrous middle.
Allow to air dry for 7 days. Do not put it into the water during this period. Once the seven days are over, plant your cutting dragon fruit in a jar or directly into the ground. In approximately one month, it takes root in the ground.
Ecological requirements for dragon fruit plant.
As a member of the cactus family, this fruit is suitable for cultivation in arid or semi-arid conditions. It does not require much water, since it requires a minimum annual precipitation of 50 cm and a temperature of 20 c to 30 c. Moreover, it is also not selective about the type of soil, that is, it can be cultivated on sandy, loam, or clay soils. It needs a pH range of 5.4 to 7. However, for your plants to have healthy vegetative growth and high yields, soils must have high organic matter and be well drained. You should also ensure that you give them just a little water during the very dry seasons
Fertilization
The plants should meet appropriate nutrition requirements for improved yields. For the best result for yield and quality, the plants need these doses of 450: 350: 300 (N- P2O5-K₂O) grams (1-0.77-0.66 lb). https://wikifarmer.com/dragon-fruit-fertilization/
maturity and yields
It can begin to bear fruit 12 to 15 months after planting. Depending on the variety, environmental conditions and cultural practices applied, and the age of the plant, a single pole can produce 20-35 kg. Therefore, the average yield per hectare (depending on planting distances) can range from 16,000 to 27,000 kg (14,275 to 24,090 lb/ac). https://wikifarmer.com/dragon-fruit-harvest-and-storage/#:~:text=Dragon%20fruit%20yield,produce%20from%2020%2D35%20kg.
Pests and diseases.
This includes anthracnose, cactus mild mottle virus, and botrysphaeria.
Pests. Sap-sucking bugs such as leaf-footed Leptoglossus as they spread diseases. It is encouraged to use organic chemicals to control these pests and diseases.
Due to its nutritional and medical properties, the dragon fruit brings a lot of benefits to human health. This makes this new species in Kenya widely adopted by many farmers as there is an increasing local and international demand. Dragon fruit requires less amount of water, making it suitable in regions that receive low amounts of rainfall. These are reasons that many farmers are venturing into dragon fruit as an agribusiness.
References.
