International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 30-43 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 39 relies on timely pruning of diseased branches and biological control measures to control it (Dutra et al., 2025). In addition to stem blight, fruit rot (such as post-harvest fruit rot caused by Curvularia lunulata) also harms the storage and transportation process. In terms of pests, aphids, scale insects, mites, fruit flies, and red fire ants can all affect the growth and results of pitaya (Tang et al., 2020). Since yellow pitaya is an introduced crop, many pest and disease control technologies are still imperfect, and there is a lack of registered special pesticides or integrated control models. This requires scientific research and promotion departments to strengthen the monitoring and research of yellow pitaya diseases and pests, cultivate disease-resistant varieties and develop green control technologies. For example, the application of antagonistic microorganisms such as Trichoderma to control ulcer disease has achieved initial results, and some Trichoderma strains can inhibit the bacteria by more than 80% (Chen et al., 2020). In the future, these new technologies need to be integrated and applied to reduce the threat of diseases and pests to the industry. The long-term adaptability of yellow pitaya in many new regions is still under observation. Due to large climate variations in some marginal planting areas (such as high latitudes or high altitudes), pitaya may occasionally encounter extreme low temperatures or abnormal weather, resulting in reduced production or even frost damage and death (Liu et al., 2020). For example, in some years, winter frost occurred in southern my country, and open-field pitaya was severely damaged. Therefore, there are risks in promoting pitaya in these areas, and it is necessary to strengthen protection and select more cold-resistant varieties. For example, in greenhouse cultivation, long-term low light environment may affect the photosynthesis and flowering of pitaya, which needs to be solved by supplementary lighting and other technologies. In addition, pitaya is sensitive to excessive soil moisture and is prone to root rot in areas with high annual precipitation and poor drainage. Therefore, it is necessary to improve cultivation facilities (such as high-bed cultivation and rain shelter trellises). All of these require us to conduct in-depth research on the physiological response mechanism of yellow pitaya to environmental stress (cold, flooding, low light, etc.) and screen materials with stronger tolerance to cope with possible climate change in the future. 8.3 Quality improvement and sustainable planting For yellow pitaya to gain a foothold in the global fruit market, it is necessary to continuously improve the fruit quality, including taste, nutrition and storage and transportation performance. At present, some varieties have insufficient sugar content or bland flavor, and are not competitive enough in the high-end market. In addition, the skin of pitaya is thin and the ripening effect is not significant. The shelf life of the fruit after picking is relatively short. Generally, it can be stored at room temperature for about 2 weeks before it begins to soften and rot (Luo et al., 2025). This poses challenges to long-distance transportation and export. Improving fruit quality through genetic means, such as increasing the sugar-acid ratio, increasing the content of aromatic substances, enhancing the toughness and antioxidant capacity of the peel, is an important direction of quality breeding (Lin et al., 2021). At the same time, it is also necessary to develop post-harvest preservation technology (such as low-temperature controlled atmosphere storage and edible coating preservation) (Hu et al., 2020). Only by overcoming the bottlenecks of quality and preservation can yellow pitaya obtain a higher market premium and the industry become more competitive. Bird's nest fruit cultivation is a labor-intensive industry, which requires a lot of manpower from scaffolding, pruning to artificial pollination. Due to rising labor costs in some areas, the profit margin of pitaya cultivation has been squeezed. How to reduce production costs through mechanization and intelligent means is a practical problem facing the industry. For example, the development of pollination machines, automatic fertilization and irrigation systems, and pest and disease monitoring Internet of Things are expected to reduce dependence on labor. Another example is the promotion of "grass cultivation" and "organic planting", which can reduce the use of herbicides and fertilizers and achieve a win-win situation for environmental and economic benefits. In addition, long-term land use and continuous cropping also bring the risk of accumulation of soil-borne diseases. It is necessary to explore crop rotation and intercropping patterns or soil improvement methods to ensure the sustainable production capacity of the land.
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