International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 237-249 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 239 development of the dragon fruit industry. Additionally, the study hopes to summarize and promote the cultivation experience of the thornless yellow dragon, providing references for the cultivation of dragon fruit in other regions and varieties, thereby contributing to the prosperity and development of the dragon fruit industry globally. 2 Results and Analysis 2.1 Growth characteristics of thornless yellow dragon branches Dragon fruit utilizes the Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) pathway, a mechanism that allows it to close its stomata during the day to maintain water balance and open them at night to absorb carbon dioxide. This adaptation improves carbon fixation efficiency under low carbon dioxide concentrations (Hultine et al., 2019). Due to this unique carbon fixation method, the branches of dragon fruit elongate during the day and exhibit minimal growth at night. The growth rate of the branches is also closely related to their growth stage. In the early growth stage (typically referring to young branches less than 20 cm in length), the elongation rate of the branches is relatively slow, extending by about 1 cm per day. However, once the branches exceed 20 cm in length, the elongation rate significantly increases, with daily growth reaching approximately 2-3 cm (Figure 2). This variation indicates that the growth pattern of dragon fruit is closely tied to its physiological and metabolic characteristics, providing important guidance for the efficient cultivation of thornless yellow dragon. Figure 2 Daily measurement of thornless yellow dragon shoot growth
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