Why do dragon fruit crack just as they turn red

Dragon fruit plants are currently entering their peak flowering period. Their flowers generally begin to open 1 to 1.5 hours before sunset, and by dawn the corolla gradually closes, then withers after the sun rises. During this period, the flowers complete the process of self-fertilization. But at present, heavy rain and torrential rain are continuous and there is less sunlight. These factors are extremely unfavorable to the pollination and fertilization of dragon fruit. For example, heavy rain dilutes the mucus on the female stigma, and the liquid in the male anthers is washed away. If the flowers fail to complete fertilization, they will inevitably wither and drop. In addition, because there is a lot of rain at present, the plant absorbs relatively more water, so the flesh develops and swells at a rate that is not synchronized with the growth rate of the peel, and therefore fruit cracking also increases. To overcome the above unfavorable factors, protected cultivation is needed, such as cultivation in a light-transmitting medium greenhouse. If planted in the open field, when conditions unfavorable to flowering, pollination, and fertilization of the plant, or unfavorable to the plant's water and light, appear, it is difficult to ensure stable yield, high yield, and high quality. It is recommended that you cover the soil with plastic film as much as possible to reduce the soil moisture content and keep the soil moisture content as uniform as possible; when the weather clears, spray the plants with 0.04 PPM brassinolide to improve the plant's stress resistance; use artificial supplementary pollination, and before the flowers fade in the early morning, use a soft brush to collect pollen and gently stroke the female stigma; because the concentrated flowering period of dragon fruit is generally from late June to early July, late August to early September, and mid-to-late September to early October, it is recommended to strengthen pollination and fruit-setting management in the following periods to make up for the temporary losses currently occurring.