Dragon Fruit

Water

Rain falls about 4 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 480 mm it can use in a normal year, and 320 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 40 °C / 29 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 34 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 32 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 34 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 35 °C / 21 °C
• Nov 31 °C / 15 °C
• Dec 26 °C / 11 °C
• Jan 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 28 °C / 13 °C
• Mar 34 °C / 19 °C
• Apr 40 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
• May 43 °C / 29 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 40 °C / 29 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

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

Soil

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

Not in the score: nitrogen, sulphur and boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.

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 75% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 75% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.