International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 156-162 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 156 AReview Open Access Dragon Fruit Farming in Nepal: A Comprehensive Review Arati Chapai 1 , Kiran Prasad Upadhayaya2 , Susma Adhikari 1 , Kiran Thapa1 1 Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, 44800, Nepal 2 Agriculture Section, Madi Municipality, Chitwan, 44800, Nepal Corresponding authors: chapaiarati100@gmail.com; wordsforkiran@gmail.com International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.3 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2024.14.0017 Received: 07 Apr., 2024 Accepted: 31 May, 2024 Published: 17 Jun., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Chapai et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Chapai A., Upadhayaya K.P., Adhikari S., and Thapa K., 2024, Dragon fruit farming in Nepal: a comprehensive review, International Journal of Horticulture, 14(3): 156-162 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2024.14.0017) Abstract Dragon fruit is a promising horticultural crop due to its resilience to pests, diseases, and abiotic stresses, as well as its nature to thrive on marginal lands. Dragon fruit can be grown in a in a wide range of soils, from sandy loam to clay loam, particularly in the Terai and lower hills of Nepal. A temperature of about 25 °C is suitable for its growth, and about 7-10 hours of sunlight are required for active growth and development. Dragon fruit is propagated by using cuttings and seeds, but seed is less favorable. Red pitaya, American beauty, Costarican sunset and white pitaya are widely popular varieties of dragon fruit in Nepal. The fruits are produced between June and September and harvested three or four times per month. Lack of market, high production costs, and lack of proper knowledge were the major problems in dragon fruit farming. This review points out the cultivation practices and challenges of dragon fruit in the country, aiming to help future research. Keywords Dragon fruit; Hylocereus spp.; Cultivation; Challenges; Nepal Introduction Due to its medicinal and health benefits, dragon fruit, pitaya or strawberry pear (Hylocereus spp. and Selenicereus spp.), or kamalam, is becoming a super crop everywhere, even in marginal lands. It is essentially a climbing cactus vine native to Central and South America that is resilient to pests and diseases as well as abiotic stresses. It belongs to the Cactaceae family. It is popular for its unique aesthetic appeal, displaying a spectrum of vibrant colors in both its flesh and skin, ranging from red and pink to white and pink, red-purple, or yellow and white (Luu et al., 2021). This tropical and subtropical fruit is especially suitable for the Terai region and can even be successfully cultivated in the lower hills, thriving at altitudes up to 800 meters above sea level (Dhakal et al., 2021). It has many benefits, such as low water and nutrient requirements, relatively low resource requirements for setting up the orchard and maintaining it, the ability to sustain a high yield for up to 20 years, a high benefit to cost ratio, and a high level of nutraceuticals and functional properties (e.g. rich in antioxidants and fibres). Because of its antioxidant properties, dragon fruit is often referred to as a "super-fruit" by many people. Dragon fruit, rich in fiber, water-soluble compounds, vitamin C, and antioxidants, offers a range of health benefits, including weight management and improved digestion. It also aids in reducing LDL cholesterol levels and boosting immune function (Hossain et al., 2021). All of these characteristics are enticing growers worldwide to start and grow their dragon fruit farming operations. Dragon fruit was brought for first time in Nepal by veterinary doctor Jagannath Rai from USA through his friend in 2057 BS. After that this fruit has been distributed in 42 districts of Nepal, but farmers from Kavre, Sunsari, Bhairahawa, Dang, Lamjung, Pokhara, Kapilvastu has started commercial cultivation. Now a days it is extending in various parts of Nepal. Dragon fruit has potential for agro-tourism in Nepal. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise overview of its cultivation practices and challenges in the country, aiming to help future research.
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