Dragon Fruit

Water

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

Needs about 590 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 520 mm it can use in a normal year, and 440 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 39 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 35 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 33 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 33 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 32 °C / 18 °C
• Nov 27 °C / 11 °C
• Dec 22 °C / 7 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 23 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 28 °C / 14 °C
• Apr 36 °C / 19 °C
• May 40 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 39 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

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

Days in May get hotter than it likes. Young plants need shade and water then.

Soil

Soil for Dragon Fruit: 7 out of 10 (okay).

Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

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 88% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 88% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.