International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 237-249 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 243 yellow dragon, farmers often use agricultural techniques such as grafting, thinning flowers and fruits, using regulators, and bagging to improve fruit quality. Grafting techniques can select superior rootstocks to enhance the disease resistance and adaptability of the fruit tree. Thinning flowers and fruits can reduce the number of fruits, concentrating nutrient supply to improve fruit size and quality. Using regulators can adjust the growth and maturation process of the fruit, while bagging can prevent fruit from pest damage, ensuring the appearance quality of the fruit. By selecting the appropriate formula and using these agricultural operations at the right time at critical points, the quality and marketability of thornless yellow dragon fruit can be significantly improved. For example, using growth regulators in the early stages of fruit growth can promote fruit development and increase soluble solid content (Dano et al., 2020). Bagging can prevent direct sunlight, reducing sunburn and maintaining peel smoothness (Hossain et al., 2021). To enhance the market competitiveness of thornless yellow dragon, in addition to improving fruit sweetness and optimizing cultivation management, efforts should also focus on varietal improvement, post-harvest technology optimization, and market promotion. In terms of varietal improvement, introducing and cultivating high-quality new varieties can improve the overall quality of thornless yellow dragon. Post-harvest technology optimization can involve advanced preservation technologies, such as cold chain transportation and storage, to extend the fruit's freshness and shelf life (Ngoc et al., 2018; Subandi et al., 2018). Market promotion and consumer education are also important means to enhance the market competitiveness of thornless yellow dragon. Conducting market promotion activities can increase consumer awareness and acceptance of thornless yellow dragon. Additionally, scientific packaging and brand building can enhance the market image of thornless yellow dragon, increasing its added value. Future research directions mainly focus on genetic research and molecular breeding, environmental adaptability studies, and the development of long-term preservation technologies. Genetic research and molecular breeding can use genome editing technology to cultivate more advantageous thornless yellow dragon varieties, enhancing their sweetness and disease resistance. Environmental adaptability studies can optimize cultivation management by studying the climate conditions of different regions, improving the adaptability and yield of thornless yellow dragon. Developing long-term preservation technologies can research different preservatives and packaging materials to extend the freshness and shelf life of thornless yellow dragon. These studies can not only improve the market competitiveness of thornless yellow dragon but also provide technical references for the introduction and improvement of other foreign varieties, promoting the development of the entire dragon fruit industry. 4 Materials and Methods 4.1 Research materials This study focused on the thornless yellow dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.)) as the test subject, with the experiment conducted in Hainan, China. Thornless yellow dragon is characterized by its large fruit size, tender yellow peel, smooth fruit surface, white flesh, small seeds, delicate taste, and strong disease resistance. The experiment involved systematic observation and recording of thornless yellow dragon's performance at different growth stages. The growth conditions were analyzed under various soil conditions, fertilizer ratios, and irrigation measures to determine the optimal cultivation management plan. Special attention was given to the effects of chemical spraying on improving fruit sweetness and quality. 4.2 Cultivation of thornless yellow dragon 4.2.1 Thinning flowers and fruits Thinning flowers and fruits is a critical management measure in the cultivation of thornless yellow dragon (Li et al., 2023). The first flowering often results in deformed flowers, leading to an insufficient number of scales on the fruit surface, thin peel, and low fruit sweetness (Figure 6; Table 1). To avoid deformed flowers, it is recommended to start retaining fruits on trees with at least three mature fruit-bearing branches. For every additional three branches, one more fruit can be retained. This method meets the requirement for sugar accumulation in the fruit, prevents a decline in fruit quality, and ensures the thickness of the peel and scales.
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