Banana / Papaya / Mango / Passion fruit / Pineapple / Rambutan / Wood-apple / Avo cado / Grapes / Durian / Pomegranate / Carambola / Amberalla / Sweet Orange / Water Melon / Grape fruit / Guava / Mangosteen / Lime / Lemonime / Beli / Pummelo / Mandarin / Dragon fruit / J ack fruit Dragon Fruit - Hylocereus undatus A dragon fruit is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus. It is native to South and Central America, belong to perennial epiphytic plant. It is also commercially cultivated in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Israel as well as Sri Lanka. Now dragon fruit is also popularizing in Sri Lanka. It can be cultivated low country wet zone, 1 / 6
intermediate zone as well as dry zone with the irrigation facilities. Department of Agriculture is conducting research to improve the cultivation. Three types of Dragon fruit species. 1.Red colour fruit coat with white colour flesh 2.Red colour fruit coat with red colour flesh 3.Yellow colour fruit coat with white colour flesh Uses Dragon fruit is important as a fruits as well as ornamental plant. Ripen fruits can be used directly to consume. Also it can be used for produce jam, ice cream, jelly, fruit juice as well as wine. Dragon fruit buds can be prepared as a curry. Dragon fruit increases the digesting power of the foods. Also it has ability to control cancer, diabetics, high cholesterol as well as blood pressure. 2 / 6
Nutritional value The typical nutritional value per 100g of ripen Dragon fruit is as follows Nutrition Amount Water 82.5-83 g Protein 0.159-0.229 g Fat 0.21-0.61 g Fiber 0.7-0.9 g Carotene 0.005-0.012 mg Calcium 6.3-8.8 mg Phosphorus 30.2-36.1 mg Iron 0.55-0.65 mg Vitamin B 1 0.28-0.043 mg Vitamin B 2 0.043-0.045 mg Vitamin B 3 0.297-0.43 mg Vitamin C 8.0-9.0 mg Thaiamin 0.28-0.30 mg Riboflavin 0.043-0.044 mg Niacin 1.297-1.30 mg Ash 0.28 g Other 0.54-0.68 g Ripen fruits are rich in vitamins. Climatic Conditionn Dragon fruits can tolerate poor soil conditions and temperature variations. Tropical climate is good for dragon fruit cultivation. The optimum temperature range is about 20-30 oc. Also it needs about 500 1500mm annual rainfall with alternate dry and wet climatic condition. It need good sunlight, but not suitable for long period. At that time shading is important. Soil and Water Good drainage system is important to dragon fruit cultivation. 10-30% sandy soils with organic matters provide good condition for plant growth. Sandy soils also suitable for dragon fruit cultivation. Preparation of Planting Material 1. Planting of cuttings Common method 3 / 6
2. it takes Seedlings long period Seeds as can well be as used it can to produce not continue seedlings. characteristics But, commercially of mother not plants. in used. Because 4 / 6
Use Obtain 15 Then Dry Top Sand Keep These Planting Pit compost some 20 size Cow soil these amount cm rooted is space with dung mixture about pots 10og cuttings for of is from sand with 60 about planting 2 are 1 of x are 1the shade 60 super used are to 2 potted selected bottom x acclimatized 60cm. 2m. for phosphate. place planting. with of mother These to planting rooting. before pit. To Pile pits plants. improve mixture. up are planting these filled the by cutting infields. drainage, top soil, 1-2 days decomposed add prior small to brick potting. cow pieces dung and or Dragon used. bound Because frame Training Immature to fruit maintain lateral column. of needs Plants shoots stem Lateral balanced support must bust shoots to be shrub. up tied removed must right to Because that be growth. time limited column. it to spread Because and time. But 2-3 It thereafter wooden is main hanging important stems aerial shoots concrete to are arrange roots allowed balance column developed round to way. grow. can metal and be Removing Inducing Disease Specially, have Flowering been lateral in recorded of dragon lateral branches in fruits, buds some a lesser countries. amount of pest and disease are there. But funfi diseases 5 / 6
Dragon attraction. flower, Fruitingthese fruit In intermediate flowers bloom also at zone, named night flowering and as Queen it is off will of white initiate night, Moon at colour. April/ flower May Their and period. fragrant Nobal Due helps woman. to beauty to pestof the November. Outer Proper important Fertilizer Dragon fertilizer. yet. Organic Because to Inorganic Apply It yield. stage Water Irrigation irrigation Yield Average For It 20kg. - is Fruits ha. vegetative But important bearing Urea Super Muriate Apply (July/ cover below Management time good fruit It fertilizer system is apply will to Application our Fertilizer is - Harvesting needed August) below phosphate of to 72 50 harvesting mentioned forest newly weight of country. trees result to increase immature 15kg g stage potash matured apply is mentioned related dry introduced for very is can of about can normal zone. low organic a well - the fertilizer 88 50 important is be 40 100 day 30 is plant be amount applied g as obtained -35 300-600 g bright after mixture done growth plant fertilizer after belong days four to colour of amount green six for the proper by per and nitrogen g after days times to per cultivation. applying each harvesting changing. plant colour. family intermediate yield flowering. of plant growth with four colour fertilizer and before of Cactaceae. and below the It months. high Thus (December). and will changing. this Fruiting plant increase by the zone. become mentioned amount development hasnt period. 225g flowering Therefore Average period dry recommended But the of red season. potash fertilizer year amount (April) in will of yield export colour it dragon up continue needs Also, for fruit to by mixtures. is with purpose, about 1.5 obtain fertilizer 2kg developing need water fruit kg. ripening. up per 10000kg ample plant. to and year mixture it apply is up 6 / 6