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1. Local Name: Dragon fruit, pitaya
 
2. Recommended varieties:
| Clone |
Characteristic |
| Hylocereus undutas |
Red skin with white flesh fruit. |
| Hylocereus costaricensis & H. polyrhizus |
Both are of red skin with red flesh fruit. |
3. Soil Requirement:
- Grow on most soils proveded it is not waterlogged.
- Prefers flat to gentle terrains.
4. Spacing: 2.4m x 3m (1388 stands/ha)
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Plant support : As dragonfruit is a climber, it requires support to grow on. Both concrete and belian posts with measurements of 13 cm squre and 1.8 m length are recommended. Place about 0.45 m of the post into the ground with 1.35 m of it above ground.
Field planting : Use clean and disease-free cuttings of recommended varieties from reliable suppliers. Cuttings of 30 - 40 cm length can be planted directly on prepared mound. Plant 2 - 3 cuttings, well spaced round the post. As new pseudostems emerge, select 3 - 4 of them to grow up the post. These new pseudostems must be tied to the post with strings to encourage growth of aerial roots. These roots being used to attach themselves to supports.
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5. Fertiliser application:
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Year
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Time of application
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Type of fertiliser
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Amount / Stand / Year
(kg)
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Rate/ Application
(kg)
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0
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At Planting |
Rock Phosphate
Dolomite
Organic manure |
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1
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Every 2 months
Once it starts flowering, every 2 months
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15:15:15
12:12:17:2 + TE
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2 and onwards
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Every 2 months
Every 4 months
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12:12:17:2+TE
Organic manure (e.g : superorganics)
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Pruning and training : Pseudostems can reach the top of support by 2 - 3 months after planting , after which they will arch over and may break. Allow 3 - 4 secondary pseudostems to develop from each primary pseudostem from near to the support. Each secondary pseudostem in term is allowed to have 3 - 4 tertiary pseudostems. A good stand is recommended to have 30 -40 pseudostems. Pseudostems that have fruited 1 - 2 times or those that are shaded should be pruned off progressively.
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6. Vegetatif Period: 8 - 12 months.
7. Economic Life: 10 -15 years.
8. Yield:
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Yields : Estimated fresh fruit yield per stand is about 30 - 50 fruits (20 30 kg) per year. |
9. Pests of Dragon Fruit:
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Pests/Disease
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Symptom
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Control
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| 1. Ants |
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A few species are found feeding on the shoots of dragon fruit. They often nib away the soft parts of the shoot, resulting in injury which could result in favorable disease entry. |
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- No spesific insecticide is recommended for ants on dragon fruit. However, for general control of ants, chlorpyrifos is often used.
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| 2. Snails |
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A few snail species are found feeding on the stems and shoot of dragon fruit. They grasp away plant parts, resulting in injury. Biting marks are often obvious. Apply snail bait (e.g Siputox) at regular intervals, to prevent the built-up of population. Good farm sanitation is also useful to reduce the breeding ground for snails. |
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1. Racun siput : cth Siputox
2. Sanitasi ladang baik adalah penting untuk mengurangkan pembiakan siput.
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