Dragon Fruit
Holds the land all year
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Needs care: Very hot in April
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 680 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 360 mm it can use in a normal year, and 240 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 35 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 31 °C / 23 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 22 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 22 °C
- Oct 33 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 32 °C / 18 °C
- Dec 31 °C / 16 °C
- Jan 32 °C / 16 °C
- Feb 35 °C / 18 °C
- Mar 38 °C / 22 °C (outside its best range)
- Apr 41 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
- May 41 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Jun 35 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Days in April get hotter than it likes. Young plants need shade and water then.
Soil
Soil for Dragon Fruit: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
Likes pH 5.3–6.7.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 32 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 2 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.
How to make it work
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.