Yellow dragon fruit: A new direction

Currently, some farms in Binh Thuan are exploring new directions for dragon fruit cultivation. Yellow dragon fruit has a self-defense mechanism, a thick, glossy peel that doesn't absorb pesticides, and natural insect resistance, making it suitable for organic farming.

A unique characteristic of yellow dragon fruit is that it must be cultivated on densely packed soil. Therefore, this creates a breeding ground for root-damaging insects. To control these insects, it's necessary to incorporate probiotics into the fertilizer. However, the harsh weather conditions in Binh Thuan province result in low survival rates for probiotics. Therefore, regular supplementation of probiotics is essential.

The vibrant yellow color of yellow dragon fruit attracts considerable consumer interest. Its higher nutritional value compared to white-fleshed varieties has led to increased cultivation. One of the most challenging aspects of cultivating yellow dragon fruit is its lack of natural pollination. Unlike other dragon fruit varieties, the pollen of yellow dragon fruit is unable to germinate. The male and female stigmas of the yellow dragon fruit flower are far apart, resulting in low contact. Pollination requires manual work by skilled and trained workers. Dragon fruit flowers begin to bloom between 9 and 10 PM, peaking between 11 PM and 2 AM. This is the optimal time for pollination to achieve high yields, as the pollen is most mature during this period. Therefore, selecting young buds requires a uniform proportion to avoid uneven flowering, which would hinder pollination.

The pollen grains selected for pollinating yellow dragon fruit are usually those of the LD5 pinkish-purple, H14 red, or Taiwanese red varieties. Of the three varieties used for pollinating yellow dragon fruit, the Taiwanese red variety, when pollinated with yellow, produces the best quality fruit. The flesh is translucent, firm, fragrant, mildly sweet, with few seeds, juicy, and not too soft. Pollination with white or pinkish-purple dragon fruit results in firm, crisp flesh with an opaque white color.

Yellow dragon fruit has a different flowering time compared to other dragon fruit varieties, making pollination extremely difficult. Furthermore, weather conditions play a crucial role in determining the success or failure of pollination. Sometimes, rain washes away the efforts of the technicians and workers immediately after pollination is complete. Often, the fruit affected by rain is smaller, has fewer seeds, and is prone to rotting at the tips. The time from flowering to harvest is approximately 30 days.

Following the pollination stage, the yellow dragon fruit plant undergoes a growth and care phase. This stage requires sufficient water and nutrients for the plant. Engineers and workers toil day and night during this period.

During the budding period, the tree secretes a lot of nectar, which attracts insects. Dealing with the insects is quite laborious, requiring workers to manually remove them. However, some fruits being eaten by insects should be left untouched to lure them to a central processing point. For smaller insects, essential oils extracted from plants such as garlic, chili peppers, lemongrass, lemon, and cloves should be used to repel them.

After pollination, remove the dragon fruit's antennae about two days prior to pollination and clean the fruit's throat to prevent rot. About a week after removing the petals, remove the pistil to prevent bacterial infection.

Cultivating organic yellow dragon fruit is challenging, but with passion, belief, and a desire to provide customers with high-quality and safe products, it represents a new direction for the image of dragon fruit in Binh Thuan.

Source