August 31, 2024 | Scientia Horticulturae |
Researchers from ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management and VNMKV-College of Agriculture conducted a study to evaluate the effects of canopy management through pruning on dragon fruit growth and productivity. Canopy management is essential in fruit crops to ensure an ideal plant structure that enhances light distribution, air circulation, and microclimate control, ultimately improving photosynthesis and reducing pest and disease spread.
The study focused on assessing how strategic pruning affected the physiological and biochemical parameters, as well as flowering, fruiting, and the incidence of sunburn and diseases. Results showed that pruning improved chlorophyll content and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and significantly increased the production of new sprouts and fruitful cladodes compared to unpruned plants. Additionally, pruning reduced sunburn by 67.68% in 2022 and 69.05% in 2023, while minimizing disease incidence by 43.23% and 81.51%, respectively.
In terms of yield, lightly and moderately pruned plants showed a significant increase of 11-48% in the second year, compared to just 2.8% in unpruned controls. The study concluded that maintaining 120-160 cladodes, or 12-14 per square meter, through light pruning in a mop-top training system is advisable in semi-arid regions for improved dragon fruit productivity.