Dragon Fruit

Water

Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 370 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 270 mm it can use in a normal year, and 200 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 18–28 °C on average, and survives 12–34 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 23 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 22 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 22 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 20 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 16 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 11 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 6 °C / -4 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 3 °C / -6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 5 °C / -4 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 9 °C / -1 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 16 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• May 20 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 23 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)

Nights in October can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Dragon Fruit: 9 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: sulphur and boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.

Likes pH 5.3–6.7.

Money

Yield: about 23 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 2 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

On rain alone it gets about 74% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 74% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.