International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 61-72 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 68 7.2 Study on the effects of inducer treatments on yellow pitaya yield Pre-treatment inducers, such as salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSa), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and oxalic acid (OA), are known to regulate plant growth, enhance stress resistance, and optimize fruit quality. Erazo-Lara et al. (2024) investigated the effects of these four inducers applied at different concentrations on yellow pitaya. The study revealed that these inducers significantly improved crop yield and fruit quality, although the effects varied depending on the type and concentration of the inducer. The experimental results demonstrated that all treatments increased fruit yield, size, and weight, but with differing levels of effectiveness based on inducer type and application concentration. Among the treatments, methyl jasmonate at a concentration of 10 mM showed the most pronounced effect on yield, achieving approximately 20 kg per plant. Oxalic acid at 5 mM was particularly effective in increasing fruit weight, reaching about 388 g per fruit (Figure 2). In terms of quality, the application of methyl jasmonate and oxalic acid significantly enhanced fruit firmness, while methyl salicylate at 10 mM accelerated fruit maturation. The study underscores the potential of pre-treatment inducers to enhance yellow pitaya yield and quality, with their effectiveness appearing to be concentration-dependent. Further research on the role of inducers during postharvest storage could lead to the development of more efficient fruit preservation strategies. Figure 2 Fruit weight (g) at harvest time of pitahayas from control and treated with methyl salicylate (MeSa), salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), and oxalic acid (OA) at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 mM. Data are the mean±SE (n=9). Bars with different letters denote significant differences at p< 0.05 after the Tukey’s test (Adopted from Erazo-Lara et al., 2024) 8 Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling of Yellow Pitaya 8.1 Determining the optimal harvesting time The optimal harvesting time for yellow pitaya is crucial to ensure maximum fruit quality and yield. Indicators of maturity include changes in skin color, firmness, and the development of soluble solids. For instance, the soluble solids content, which is a measure of sweetness, tends to be slightly higher in open-field systems compared to covered systems, with values around 15.20 °Brix and 14.66 °Brix, respectively (Morillo-Coronado et al., 2022).
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