Pytaya Cultivation Technology

1. Overview Dragon fruit is a perennial vine plant belonging to the family Cactaceae. It is an emerging fruit with good health care effects. It is native to the western hemisphere near the equator and the tropical rain forests of Central America. This determines its biological characteristics: 1. Heat-resistant, not low-temperature resistant. It can withstand 40-50 ℃, but will suffer cold damage to varying degrees below 8 ℃, and will freeze to death below 0 ℃. 2. It does not come from dry and hot deserts but from tropical rainforests, so its "nature" does not like drought but humidity. Its roots are intolerant to flooding, not because they are afraid of water, but because they are intolerant of lack of oxygen. This determines its cultivation characteristics. It should not be deeply planted but should be planted shallowly with convenient drainage. It is best to maintain a loose, breathable and moist covering on the ground surface, such as litter or growing weeds, to imitate the growth conditions of its ancestors. , so that the aerial roots can meander and stretch near the surface of the ground to absorb water and fertilizer. Many readers are unfamiliar with dragon fruit, but many are familiar with sword flower. In fact, the two are plants of the same family and genus. The triangular columnar shape of the stem and the size and shape of the flowers are very similar. However, the sword flower only blooms but does not bear fruit (self-flowering, self-pollination does not bear fruit), and its flowers and dried products are used for food; Pitayas are mostly self-pollinated and fruitful, producing spherical or elongated fruits with red peel. The pulp is soft, smooth and sweet, and the seeds are like fine sesame seeds scattered in the pulpy (peptone-like) pulp, which does not affect the taste and texture at all. The flowers of dragon fruit are insect-pollinated flowers. Like all cacti, they bloom at night and last until the next morning. In the evening, before the sun sets, the corolla opens slightly, allowing bees to dig in to collect and pollinate. They can come again early the next morning to collect and pollinate. Near noon, the corolla gradually becomes soft and droops. 2. Varieties According to the color of the flesh, dragon fruit is divided into three subspecies: red, white and yellow. Among them, red dragon fruit has the most varieties. According to information, as early as the 17th century, the Dutch introduced dragon fruit to Taiwan, but the introduced variety was a self-flowering variety that later spread into the wild and was called "Sanna" in Taiwan. Whether this kind of sweet flower and the sword flower called sword flower in Guangdong are the same thing is really interesting and worth exploring. Later, the French introduced a variety of self-compatible pitayas to Vietnam, and artificial cultivation gradually spread. Guangdong Gaoming Jinkuizi Technology Co., Ltd. introduced three varieties a few years ago, two of which are red-fleshed varieties. One has a rose-red skin and deep purple-red flesh. It is sweet and delicious. It is self-flowering and can bear fruit. The fruit shape is slightly elongated. The other stem is thick and gray-green with waxy powder. It grows quickly and blooms early and abundantly. It is said to be a Mexican variety. Unfortunately, it cannot self-pollinate and produce fruit. There are not many pollinating insects such as bees, so artificial pollination is needed at night. It's too inconvenient, so we don't promote this variety. However, if it can be properly pollinated, it will produce very many fruits and a very high yield. The fruit shape will be round, and the skin and flesh color will be bright red (deep red) with dark colors. The third is a white-fleshed variety with a high autoflowering rate. The fruit is garden-shaped, with long sepals on the fruit. It is not easy to dry out. The fruit shape is beautiful and the skin color is lighter than the rose-skinned red dragon fruit. The three varieties mentioned above are all different in the shape of the stems and vines, the location of the short thorns on the stems, and the shapes of the buds and flowers, which can be distinguished by careful observation. From May to November, they bud, bloom and mature in batches. In different seasons, it takes 30-40 days each from young buds to flowering, and from flowering to ripe fruit. The fruits and buds of three generations of ancestors and grandchildren, "Five generations of flowers live under one roof", and the supply period of fresh fruits lasts for more than half a year. The names of dragon fruit vary from place to place and vary depending on the color of the flesh. The red-fleshed subspecies is called red dragon fruit, the white-fleshed subspecies is called jade dragon fruit, and the yellow-fleshed subspecies is called yellow dragon fruit. However, some scholars in Taiwan believe that Westerners do not like the name "dragon", so the dragon fruit should be renamed Pitaya fruit to facilitate export to European and American countries. "Xian" refers to the cactus family, and "ho" is a compliment rather than as sweet as honey. The sugar content (soluble solids) of red and white dragon fruit is mostly between 10-15%, and its sugar content is mainly glucose (accounting for about 73.5%), which is easy for humans to absorb and has a low sweetness, and has a high sweetness. Fructose accounts for about 26.5% of sucrose. Due to its high moisture content (83-84%), the pulp gives people a sweet and smooth taste in the mouth. What varieties are good to plant in an orchard? Be sure to plant more than two varieties. Although the red dragon fruit with purple flesh can self-pollinate (within-variety pollination) and set fruit, the fruit setting rate is not high enough. If white-fleshed varieties are pollinated, practice has proven that not only the fruit setting rate is high, but the fruits are also enlarged. Therefore, it is best to plant red and white-fleshed varieties in alternate rows in a 2:1 or 3:1 configuration. Mainly red meat (because its natural red pigment has many uses), supplemented by white meat. 3. Planting methods and supports of dragon fruit. The vine characteristics of dragon fruit require the installation of supports to facilitate growth, flowering and fruiting, and management of harvesting. The bracket must be strong and resistant to heavy pressure and wind; it must be resistant to soil corrosion; the cost must also be considered. Depending on the practice, there are three types of brackets to choose from. 1. Independent brackets for reinforced concrete columns. A 2 m long square reinforced concrete column with a thickness of 11-12 cm square, buried 0.5 m in the soil and 1.5 m above the ground. There is a 6-7 cm steel bar protruding from the top to weld a steel cross disk with the column as the center and a diameter of about 0.7 m. The column spacing is 3 m (row spacing) × 2-2.5 m (plant spacing), about 111-89 columns/acre.

One seedling is planted on each side of the column, relying on aerial roots and artificial binding. The stems climb along the column to the top. When they are extended, they are placed on the iron ring and spread around to droop. Only the drooping branches are easy to bud and bloom. You can add old tire casings on the iron hoop to prevent the mounting parts from becoming too hot or easily broken. Cement columns have good strength and are good for independent ventilation and light transmission, but they must be buried firmly and the drooping stems and vines are evenly distributed around (artificial assistance) to avoid tilting. 2. Galvanized iron pipe rectangular row bracket. Drive rows of wooden stakes with a row spacing of 3 m. The thickness, fastness and corrosion resistance of the wooden stakes are based on the principle that the dragon fruit can continue to climb and grow for at least one year. The distance between columns is 1 m, the height is 1.2-1.4 m, and two fruit seedlings are planted next to it. After colonization, durable galvanized iron pipe (water pipe) supports were erected in a planned manner, using pipes with an outer diameter of 2.5 cm. With the wooden pile as the center, set the legs 0.5 m to both sides, that is, the width of the frame is 1 m. Either pipes can be used as the legs, or 7-8 cm square cement columns (with steel bars inside) can be used as the legs. The latter will be more durable. The burial depth shall be determined by firmness, and the buried pipe shall have a concrete pier foundation. The height above ground is still 1.5 m, the distance between the feet is 2-2.5 m (depending on the strength of the pipe and the vigorous growth of the plant), and the pipes are welded horizontally and vertically between the tops of the feet. Within one year of planting, when the stems and vines of the fruit seedlings grow taller and branch, it is necessary to manually guide the stems and vines to both sides of the pipe rack at all times to allow the row supports to bear the heavy pressure. Row-type support planting is easier to manage and has higher yields. Jinkui subsidiaries mainly plant in this way, followed by column supports. Row planting should be planned in a north-south direction so that both sides receive even light. 3. Cross steel bar group bracket. Dr. Wang Qunguang from Taiwan gave up medicine and became a farmer and has many years of practical experience in growing dragon fruits. He believes that this kind of stent is the most ideal. The method is to use bamboo steel bars 5 cents thick (1.7 cm) and cut into lengths of 2 m and 3.2 m. The former is used as a footing. Two steel bars are driven diagonally into the soil 0.5m opposite each other, and the upper parts cross each other. The distance between the crossing footings is 3m. Use stainless steel wire or steel cable clamps to tie up the intersection (including the transverse steel bars). A steel bar (or pipe) should be added in the middle of the transverse steel bars to support it vertically to withstand future heavy pressure. Planting fruit seedlings and setting up temporary wooden stakes are the same as the second method. After the stems grow taller, they rest on the horizontal steel bars. 4. Others. For non-scale planting, dragon fruit can also be clinging to low walls, living tree stumps, or even relying on tree trunks with no branches or leaves at the lower part, such as betel nut. However, trellis cultivation cannot be used, because the stems and vines extending horizontally have many branches and few buds and flowers, making it difficult to harvest even if they bear fruit. The branches on the roof of the shed are densely packed and difficult to thin out, and there are dark holes under the shed, both of which are detrimental to flowering and fruiting. Dragon fruit is a long-lived plant that can live for decades or even hundreds of years. Therefore, no matter what kind of bracket is used, its firmness and durability should be the first priority. It should also be considered that if the stent is overwhelmed after a few years, it can be easily reinforced and reinforced with appropriate thinning and pruning without affecting the normal growth of that year. Based on our several years of planting experience, we should also note that when building a new garden, the row spacing cannot be small, with 2.5m being the minimum. Otherwise, the stems and vines will be fully stretched, and the narrow passage will cause managers and tourists to dodge the very sharp triangular stems. The short prick is very uncomfortable and convenient. 4. The benefits of growing dragon fruit. Modern and fashionable eco-friendly and tourist-oriented, orchards are the most attractive places to visit in the countryside. Tasting fresh and sweet fruits picked by one’s own hands is a tourist’s wish. In the south, lychee and longan are available only for a month or two, so it is difficult to sustain the long-term prosperity of tourists. As for dragon fruit, from May to November, there are not only one or two concentrated flowering and fruiting periods, but also scattered, multiple batches of flowering and fruiting periods. With appropriate refrigeration and processing, tourists can taste them within half a year. to fresh fruits, fruit pulp ice cream and other delicious foods and drinks. We have not introduced much about the yellow-fleshed pitaya in the "Variety" section because our company does not have this variety yet. According to data, yellow-fleshed varieties respond differently to temperature. They have a long budding period and fruiting period. Summer fruits are on the market during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and autumn and winter fruits (the main fruits) are harvested around the Spring Festival, which coincides with red and white-fleshed fruits. In addition, the fruit supply period of three kinds of dragon fruit spans three quarters of the year. The yellow-fleshed varieties have high fruit sweetness, lower yields but higher grades, so efforts should be made to introduce them in the future. In South China, dragon fruit is combined with jujube, guava, plantain, carambola, loquat and other traditional fruit trees to form a "hundred orchard", which is a fruit-tasting paradise for tourists in all seasons. Dragon fruit will reach its initial production period one year after planting, with a yield of 1,000 kilograms per mu; two to three thousand kilograms after two years, and three to five thousand kilograms after three years, which should be no problem. You can make a lot of money at 6-10 yuan per kilogram. Even if it is as cheap as 2-3 yuan, you will never lose money. It is appropriate to maintain a density of 6-7 thousand drooping stems and vines in 1 mu of land, that is, about 10 stems/m2, with an average of 1 fruit per stem/year, and an average fruit weight of 0.3-0.4 kg. One mu of land can produce 2,000- 2670 kg/year. Chinese people are still relatively unfamiliar with cactus as a dish, but it is indeed a fashionable food. Not only can cactus be used to make dishes, but the triangular stems, buds and unripe fruits of dragon fruit can also be made into a variety of delicious dishes. Dragon fruit flowers can be cut 48 hours after flowering (that is, after the pollen has entered the ovary to fertilize the egg cells), and can be eaten fresh or dried, just like the "sword flower". 5. The unique ingredients and health effects of pitaya. Dragon fruit has excellent health effects on the human body because of its unique ingredients. 1. Contains gelatinous plant albumin that is rare in ordinary fruits.

Many people know that heavy metals (mainly lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and chromium) are harmful to health. Many children have excessive lead levels. When albumin encounters heavy metal ions in the human body, it will quickly wrap them up and avoid them. It is absorbed in the intestines and excreted from the body to play a detoxifying role. 2. It is rich in anthocyanins, a more special ingredient, especially red dragon fruit, which contains the most. Anthocyanins are an antioxidant that can retain activity in human blood for 75 hours and have an antioxidant capacity more than 10 times stronger than carotene. It is transported to the whole body through the blood and plays the role of antioxidant, anti-free radical, anti-aging and inhibiting Alzheimer's disease. 3. It is rich in vitamin C and has good beautifying and skin whitening effects. To have smooth and bright skin and reduce wrinkles, the dermis layer of skin tissue must be rich in collagen, and vitamin C is an indispensable ingredient for the formation of collagen. 4. It is rich in water-soluble dietary fiber and has good functions of losing weight, lowering blood sugar and preventing constipation. This type of fiber absorbs water and swells 10-15 times, producing a gel-like substance that allows food to stay in the stomach for a longer period of time, allowing those on a diet to feel full longer without becoming unbearably hungry. The efficacy of dragon fruit in controlling blood sugar has been found in formal medical literature. It is one of the few fruits that can be eaten by diabetic patients. Its functions of moisturizing the intestines, preventing constipation and reducing colorectal cancer have attracted increasing attention. It can be seen that dragon fruit is suitable for men, women and children of all ages. It is good for health, detoxification and beauty, and improves the body's immune function. Regular consumption is beneficial! 6. Other management points

To grow dragon fruit well, we should also pay attention to: 1. The planting land does not need to be a border but can be formed into a gentle slope shape. The planting rows should be high and the rows should be low. Drainage should be smooth to avoid heavy rain. Roots soaked in water. 2. Irrigation conditions must be available and the rhizosphere soil and surface should be kept moist at all times. 3. Do not damage the roots when weeding. It is better to pull out weeds than to hoe them. It is okay to have small annual weeds. What needs to be eradicated are malignant weeds, thatch and climbing and twining weeds. If you have a lawn mowing machine and cut regularly (no need to dig the roots), spreading the cut weeds on both sides of the row is most conducive to the growth of dragon fruit roots. 4. There are not many diseases and insect pests, so there is no need to spray pesticides from time to time for "prevention". 5. Beekeeping pollination and artificial assisted pollination. 6. If the branches are too dense, you need to thin them out, and if there are too many flower buds, you need to thin them out. 7. Check the firmness of the bracket frequently and reinforce it in time to avoid collapse. 8. The most concerning issue is the winter freeze (cold) damage caused by the introduction of tropical plants into subtropical areas. South of the Tropic of Cancer in my country, except for the islands, low temperatures below 8°C occur almost every year in winter. Mild or moderate cold damage to the upper branches and vines of dragon fruit is unavoidable, and major freeze damage that occurs once every few years or more than ten years is the greatest threat.

Don’t take it lightly when planting on a large scale. Be sure to prepare enough grass or weeds. Before the low temperature of <8 ℃ hits, cover the upper part of the plant with grass to prevent cold; if there is frost damage below 0 ℃, the tree heads must be piled with grass to prevent freezing, and take some measures. Other antifreeze measures