Dragon Fruit

Water

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

Needs about 640 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 570 mm it can use in a normal year, and 420 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 36 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 31 °C / 23 °C
• Aug 30 °C / 23 °C
• Sep 30 °C / 22 °C
• Oct 31 °C / 21 °C
• Nov 30 °C / 17 °C
• Dec 30 °C / 15 °C
• Jan 30 °C / 15 °C
• Feb 33 °C / 18 °C
• Mar 37 °C / 21 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 39 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
• May 41 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 36 °C / 25 °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: 8 out of 10 (good).

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• 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 90% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 90% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.