Dragon Fruits in Gujarat, India

I have  a grower  from Gujarat, India that has grown dragon fruits. His problems were  sun burn(excess heat) injury to these plants.  He has given 15:15:15  fertilizer  by drip irrigation and still continue with the same grade. Their  plants are now 12 months old.

He said that their plants have flowered this season and also are bearing few fruits and  would like  suggestions of how and what grade to fertigate and quantity of fertilizer by drip.

He also  asked me whether he could  spray fertilizers to get better quality and size of fruits to these plants? If yes in what quantity and what intervals should I spray?

The problem he said that is it necessary to sprinkle water on the canopy during high temperatures in summer, and can we cover the canopy with a shade net to protect from sun burn? If yes please suggest the color i.e green or white shade net, and should it be 50% or 75% shade net.

These are my answers:

 If your plants had flowers you should change your fertilizers to 12:12:17:2 instead of 15:15:15. If you continue to give the latter fertilizer your plants will have more vegetative growth meaning that your plants will be grow more green shoots rather than flowers.You can boost your plants with foliar fertilizers with high K mixed with fungicides ; spray for every two weeks. Once the fruits came out you should wrap with newspaper envelope to avoid insect attack or cracking.

To avoid scorching, you could cover your plants temporarily with green net  50% shade.

This area is  very dry and needs irrigation. As dragon fruit is heavy feeder it needs high amount of organic matter

Fruits need to be wrapped as it would damage by insects and cracking

This plants need foliar fertilizer as to enhance more branching. Branching will promote more flowers

The planting distant is OK however do not let insect from mango trees attack the fruits.

Note:
Fruit growers may ask me questions or advice. I am obliged to answer wherever I could. Please don't expect for me to answer immediately, or I try to answer to best of my ability. If they have money they could invite to their so that I could give my expertise.

Visit To Vietnam

During the school holidays  in June, I had the chance to visit Vietnam. I was waiting to that date because this is the time to see dragon fruits in Vietnam. The weather was sunny and dry, the temperature is around 37 C. We drove to the Bethan Street where most Malaysian do their shoppings. this street is very popular with many  hotels too. Of course I saw a lot of tropical fruits such as mangoes, mangoesteen, ciku,guava, durians,  jackfruits, DRAGON FRUITS, etc.

Vietnam is the main producer of dragon fruits in the world. I always wonder how this crop had become a major contributor to  Vietnam's economy besides rice and other goods. The secret is always the weather: hot dry. To my analysis dragon fruits like hot and dry weather meaning that  less disease  occurrence. Unlike Malaysia, the weather is hot but humid.

There were two varieties of dragon fruits i.e red and white flesh. It could be easily noticed from its 'scales' where short scales are red and long scales are white. The shape between each other also differs.

To me Vietnam is still a young nation. They had a lot opportunities if their people work hard.

Dragon fruits, guava, mangoes and mangoesteen sold in markets

Red dragon fruits 'Longdo'

Durians, jacfruits, ciku sold in market

White variety  dragon fruits

Mangoesteen sold in pieces.

Dragon fruits grown in one of the orchard.

Manual of Dragon Fruit Planting (In Bahasa Melayu)

I have just completed my write-up on Planting of Dragon Fruits in Malay language. It takes quite some to finish it . This manual is simple and practical ways of how to plant dragon fruits. I hope to publish as soon as possible so that it can be practised immediately by the growers or hobbyists alike.
This manual is of  my very own effort and much time is devoted to it. I will translate into English once I have completed my other book.

I have to race against time because there are a lot work to do. However, you will be satisfied once you accomplished something on your own. I don't rely on anybody either to type the words or sentences, take photo, arrange the contents, paragraphs and layout whats not. Writing books or articles takes patience otherwise well begun half done or Malay proverb says hangat-hangat tahi ayam (direct translation chicken dung is always warm when it is out of its butt! ..and later cool).

Manual on Dragon Fruit Planting. I will translate in English very soon.

Eat Local Fruits Especially Dragon Fruits

Dragon fruits in Malaysian supermarkets priced at RM 3.59 (about 1.2 USD) per kg. It is either packed as minimally processed or selling loose per fruit.

Dragon fruits is still the CHOICE  of fruits in the Malaysia dessert. Malaysian average per capita fresh fruit consumption is more 60 kg compared to advanced countries.

One may not be aware that the eat local fruit campaign has been conducted since 1972. The campaign has not only helped to promote local fruits as highly nutritious supplements but also helped farmers to market their fruits with the help of the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).

FAMA is working closely with Malaysia Health Promotion Board  (MHPB) in encouraging the public to consume more local fruits as part of a healthy lifestyle.

MHPB also dismissed the view that local fruits like guava, ciku, pineapples, mangoes, papayas and seasonal fruits like durian, langsat, duku, pulasan, rambutan, jack fruit and others as contributors to health problems.

The local fruits are rich in nutrient and fibre. I'm of the opinion that the misconception that the durian is an `unhealthy' fruit must be corrected. Many are not aware that the king of fruits is rich in potassium There is no problem as long as the fruits are consumed moderately.

Strange Dragon Fruit Disease?

Some one from Puerto Rico (PR) has posted to me  about this strange 'disease' on dragon fruit. Just like look closely what is it? Send your findings to me.

What do you on the pitaya barnch?

Visit To Dragon Fruit, Kendal,Semarang Indonesia

I had the opportunity to visit Semarang again. This time is much easier to go there because there is a daily  flight from Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT ) via Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Semarang; the journey took about two and half hours. Semarang is  the fourth biggest in Indonesia besides Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. The airport is Ahmad Yani International Airport. The climate is hot and dry.

My way to Kendal, Semarang. The banner saying don't touch drugs or nacortics even a little bit

A beautiful big mosque in Kendal town, a two-hour from Semarang City

Red dragon fruits, not mature yet with little white spots.

'Choo Ka Nan' mango with anthracnose but could be controlled.

Discussion with Johnny and me in red white T-shirt together with others

I went to a dragon fruit farm which is about 6 hectares. The purpose of my visit is to observe how dragon fruits are grown on reclaim  soggy soil. The soil is black and very wet, but they manage the soil by mounting. Meaning that they make small mounts at each stake to drain the water. The growth of  dragon fruits is extremely good with lightings. I only manage to see a little disease and they kept the field very clean.   All pruned branches were grounded and mixed with left-over shrimps in containers for fourty days. The organic fertilizer is done sprayed to plants as foliar fertilizers. They also added extra manure to each stake. The yield mentioned is about 1-2 ton per hectare during this season and can be  more. The plants were only four-year old.I observed that the self-made organic fertilizer is natural and contains chitin from prawn that is able to protect from diseases naturally. Adjacent to the farm, they had  about 25 big shrimp ponds and six power station was installed.

Besides, they grow mango in this farm with Choo Ka Nan variety. I tasted the fruits and it is extremely sweet and less fibre. I asked them why they are interested to plant this variety. The answer is that the price is very much higher than Indonesian mangoes like Harumanis or Mana Lagi. However, this Thailand variety need good pre-harvest treatment because it is sensitive to disease and insect attacks. One obvious disease I observe is anthracnose  which cause black spots on the fruits and the other is bruising due to mite attack.

Dragon fruits grown or reclaim soils with lightings installed

Well developed  four-year old dragon fruits plants

Me and Johnny at  one hectare wax apple plants

Ciku or sapota  roots infected by disease

Other plants I manage to observe was chiku or 'sawo' or sapota. This plants thrieve well on reclaim soil, however there are few root disease which attack the plants.The 'sawo' or chiku is very very sweet and flowering was tremendous. There are also 'anona' or custard apple, which is growing well.

There was also 'jambu air' or aqua. It is very crunchy,seedless and sweet. The trees had very intense canopy. I manage to advise so that to prune 'open-center' system in which the central leader is cut-off and let  the light pass through. It encourages ventilation and flowering.

My host Pak Harsono and wife after having dinner at Hotel Candi, Semarang. We had delicious dinner with fish and big prawns specially cooked for us. My wife Yati also with me.