International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 237-249 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 237 Research Report Open Access Growth Characteristics and High Sweetness Cultivation Management Plan of Thornless Yellow Dragon Fruit Jungui Xu2, Zizhong Wang2, Tianhui Shi 1,3, YuxinHe1,3, ZhenLiu1 1 Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572024, Hainan, China 2 Hainan Huitian Agriculture Co., Ltd., Sanya, 572024, Hainan, China 3 College of Agricultural & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hanzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: zhenliu2012@zju.edu.cn International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2024.14.0026 Received: 20 Jun., 2024 Accepted: 25 Jul., 2024 Published: 18 Aug., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Xu 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: Xu J.G., Wang Z.Z., Shi T.H., He Y.X., and Liu Z., 2024, Growth characteristics and high sweetness cultivation management plan of thornless yellow dragon fruit, International Journal of Horticulture, 14(4): 237-249 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2024.14.0026) Abstract Hylocereus undatus (Haw.), also known as thornless yellow dragon fruit, is a yellow-skinned, white-fleshed dragon fruit that has garnered attention for its bright appearance and high vitamin content. However, its high acidity and short shelf life have limited its market acceptance, with the cultivation area gradually decreasing from 5,000 mu to less than 200 mu. This study focused on the growth characteristics and cultivation and management measures of Hylocereus undatus (Haw.). The study found that spraying the entire fruit with 100 ppm gibberellin + 10 ppm forchlorfenuron + 1,000 ppm slow-release nitrogen fertilizer during the first fruit expansion period can extend the fruit-bearing period to 40 days, the hanging period 30 days, and increase soluble solids by 21.5% Brix. The results indicate that the optimized cultivation management plan effectively improved the taste and shelf life of Hylocereus undatus (Haw.), enhancing its market competitiveness. The improved cultivation management techniques not only enhanced the fruit quality of Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) but also provided solid technical support for its commercial promotion. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for the cultivation of other high-acidity, short-shelf-life fruits, and have significant practical implications. Keywords Dragon fruit; Thornless yellow dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.)); Cultivation technology; High sweetness; Shelf life 1 Introduction Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose) is a perennial climbing succulent plant of the genus Hylocereus in the Cactus family. It originates from the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, and other Central and South American regions, being a typical tropical plant. Dragon fruit has a unique appearance and is rich in nutrients, containing water-soluble dietary fiber, betalains, and the rarely found plant protein, making it highly favored by consumers (Goenaga et al., 2020). In recent years, the consumption of dragon fruit in China has been continuously rising, driving rapid growth in its cultivation area. As of 2020, the cultivation area of dragon fruit in China has exceeded 1 million mu (Luo et al., 2023), making it an important economic crop in the southern subtropical regions. The varieties of dragon fruit cultivated in China are mainly red-skinned with red pulp (Hylocereus costaricensis) and red-skinned with white pulp (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.)), with the main cultivated varieties being 'Jindu No.1,' 'Dahong' and 'Guihonglong' among others (Lu et al., 2023). Although these varieties have significantly increased yield, there are minor differences in fruit appearance, quality, and yield, leading to a lack of diversity and serious homogenization, which weakens market consumption. To address market consumption upgrades, breeding new high-quality dragon fruit varieties has become an important solution to stimulate further industry development and meet market demand. Yellow-skinned dragon fruit, due to its novel appearance, unique taste, and high economic benefit, is considered a potential upgraded variety of dragon fruit. Yellow-skinned dragon fruit is divided into thorny yellow dragon and thornless yellow dragon (Figure 1). The thorny yellow dragon, also known as the bird's nest fruit, has spines on the fruit's surface that gradually fall off as
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