An Overview of Dragon Fruit Cultivation in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh

Dragon fruit is a wonderous fruit belonging to the Cactaceae family. This fruit is familiar as strawberry pear, pitaya, and pitahaya. It is indigenous to the country of South America but is extensively cultivated in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, China, and Singapore on a large scale [1]. It’s a very nutritious fruit that is fleshy inside and covered wi leathery skin with spike-like structures. These can be propagated via stem cuttings or vis seeds. We can grow this at home in a pot by shallow planting. If it is propagated via stem cuttings it grows a notable height vertically. So, it needs anchorage, and commonly cement poles are used for that purpose. They range from 160 to 240 rupees per kilogram in the Andhra market. It has the potential to develop high revenues for the farmers [2]. White fleshed variety is the most common commercial variety cultivated. Dragon fruit is used against type-II diabetes i.e., diabetes mellitus, prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and obesity. Pitahaya contains anti-cancer properties. Its flowers are used in the brewing industry. The horticultural university of Andhra Pradesh (Dr. YSR Horticultural University) have been made several trials on it and has observed very successful fruit growth in the agency areas of Vishakhapatnam (Chintapalli and Lambasingi villages) [3]. The government should also implement new schemes for dragon fruit cultivators. The government can install cold storage and make proper transport facilities for the farmers.