How to Cultivate Dragon Fruit?
Cultivating Dragon fruit in India requires a lot of procedure for successful growth. Dragon fruit farming in India has become most popular and profitable, as the price and demand of dragon fruit is very high. Let’s see the steps to be followed to grow dragon fruit.
- First and foremost, step to start dragon fruit farming is choosing the healthy stem of the fruit plant and cutting it to 20–22 cm long. And let it dry in a cool place for a week.
- Place the stem with cut end facing down in cactus sand which is well-drained and keep it under the sun and flush it with soil line.
- Make sure to stick or attach the pole, wires or wooden sticks for the plant to grow steadily.
- Fertilize the plant on a regular basis as it needs fertilization to grow, you can use organic fertilizers such as coco peat, cow dung etc.
- Check the soil regularly and water the plant when the soil becomes dry. Keep in mind that overwatering or underwatering the plant may cause the root rot.
- Dragon plants are very sensitive to frost, during the winter shift the plants are indoors or covered from frost.
- Prune the plant to remove dead and damaged parts. It helps in providing better air circulation to the plant.
- Keep the plant safe from pests and insects and monitor it regularly for successful cultivation.
- Dragon fruit takes several months to start flowering and producing fruits. Harvest the fruit only after it turns pink, red or yellow.
Things you Need to Check Before Dragon Fruit Farming.
Choosing Right Dragon Fruit
There are many varieties of dragon fruit those are suitable in Indian farming. To choose the right dragon fruit you need to check the following conditions:
- Soil pH and texture of the land
- Climatic Conditions
- Sunlight Exposure
- Water Availability
If all above conditions are allow to you to start dragon fruit farming, you can select anyone from these most popular ones:
Pitaya Blanca: Its scientific name is Hylocereus undatus. This fruit looks pink outside with white flesh and black seeds. You can plant this fruit in tropical and subtropical regions with moderate temperature and rainfall.
Red Pitahaya: The name itself indicates the colour of the fruit, it comes with red skin and flesh & seeds in black colour. It has got the scientific name as Hylocereus polyrhizus. It grows in warm areas with organic matter.
Pitaya Roja: Its scientific name is Hylocereus costaricensis. It comes with pink skin, violet-red flesh with black seeds. It grows in hot climate and sandy soil.
Pitaya Amarilla: This dragon fruit has yellow skin, white flesh and black seeds. The scientific name of this fruit is Hylocereus selenicereus. It can grow without much water and even in salty soil areas.
Checking Climatic and Soil Conditions
Climate: Most of the dragon fruits grow in tropical and subtropical regions. The temperature range should be in between 20 – 35 degrees Celsius. The average rainfall must be at least 1000 mm/year. Exposure of sunlight is a major factor for dragon fruit growth.
Soil: It can be grown in sandy soil, clay soil or loamy soil but the soil should be well drained. With internal drainage in soil are best for good growth. The soil pH level should be in between 5.5 to 7.
Fertilizing the Plant
Dragon fruit requires the correct and exact amount of fertilization, fertilizing the plant depends on the fruit variant and fertilizer used. On an average you need to fertilize the plant once in a month during growing seasons like spring, summer and fall seasons. No need to fertilize dragon fruit in winter.
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is rich in nutrients, having this in your everyday diet helps in good health and well-being. Consuming dragon fruit has lot of other benefits, let’s see what the dragon fruit benefits of consuming are:
- Immunity Booster: Dragon fruit consists of lot of vitamin C, which is called powerhouse of antioxidants. Antioxidants helps in reducing the oxidative stress, lowering the chance of getting chronic diseases and boosts the immunity.
- Helps in Digestive System: This fruit contains a lot of fiber which helps good digestion by preventing constipation and providing better bowel movement.
- Healthy Heart: It removes the bad cholesterol as it contains monosaturated fats which supports cardiovascular health. Dragon fruit benefits in regulating the blood pressure.
- Source of Vitamins & Minerals: It contains lot of minerals and vitamins like Iron, magnesium and phosphorus which gives energy and increases metabolism.
- Anti-Aging Properties: The Antioxidants present in the fruit boosts skin health and provides collagen production which gives you radiant complexion.
Cost and Profit of Dragon Fruit Per Acre in India
The cost and profit of Dragon fruit depends on many factors such as fruit variety you choose, irrigation system and market price. Dragon fruit cultivation cost per acre may vary from 3 to 4 Lakhs, it requires material for plantation, fertilizers, water availability and labour etc. The yield of 1 acre may vary from 10-20 quintals. The market price of dragon fruit depends upon the season and demand. Mostly the price ranges from 80 – 150 rupees.
After all cuttings from cultivation, labour, harvesting you may get profit around 2-5 lakhs per acre on dragon fruit farming. It also depends on entire farming and how you sell them.
Marketing Ideas to Sell Dragon Fruit
To reach potential customers you need some marketing strategies where you can gain profit. Marketing in supermarkets help in raising sales, as most of the people who visit supermarket prefers exotic fruits. Some of the marketing ideas for dragon fruit are:
Sample of the Product: You can choose an area with most traffic, malls and ask people to taste the fruit which helps in reaching out to more people.
Online Marketing: By using online apps, you can feature your product in apps, since most of the people are engaged in their smart phones and online shopping makes the work easier.
Highlighting the offers: Keep a simple offer on product to attract audience, even a 2 to 3 % discount on MRP will increase the sales.
Seasonal Promotions: Promote the products during the peak seasons by keeping special discounts.
Special Packaging: Use an eco-friendly packaging to maintain environmental sustainability and encourage people to buy it and it differentiates your product from others.
Dragon fruit farming in India has a lot of benefits and profits if it is monitored regularly and all the procedures are followed correctly. With proper planning you can gain a lot of profits with this business. For more detailed information and fertilizers requirement download KhetiGuru App.
