Saturday, February 13, 2010

Recent Visit to Dragon Fruit Farms

I was invited by my friends to visit dragon fruits in Negri Sembilan.This states had one of the largest farms in Malaysia besides Johor before. From my visits I could make a few conclusions .
1. Farms should have a good sanitation and crop husbandary to control disease. This is particularly pruning techniques and weed control.Bacterial and fungal diseases are easily carried by vectors such as plant hoppers or ants that carried the spores from one plant to another.Therefore such insects should be get rid off either by sprayings of insecticides, fungicides etc.

Alex and Lai accompanied me during the visit


2. Applictions of chemical insectides or fungicide plus foliar fertilzer should be mechanized. This is ensure all plants obtain all neceassary nutrients needed.


Healthy dragon fruit plants need to do surveillance every day or every other day as to ascertain no disease occurred.


Mechananized chemical appplication ofd insecticides,fungicides and foliar fertilizers using motorised spraryers

3. Farms that has infected should take a quick action, dont wait the disease has infected all the farms especially due festive seasons

Insects like Helopeltis can easily spread the disease due to its sucking habit.


Infected farms should take fast action to eradicate the disease otherwise the farm will collapsed.