Detailed Explanation of Fertilizer Amounts and Fertilization Periods for Dragon Fruit Cultivation

Fertilization is an important part of integrated management. The full effectiveness of fertilizer depends on soil and water; only good soil structure and physical and chemical properties can promote microbial activity, accelerate nutrient decomposition, and enhance root absorption. The decomposition of fertilizer and the absorption, transport, synthesis, and utilization of nutrients must all take place with the participation of water, so fertilization must be combined with irrigation for fertilizer efficiency to be fully realized. In addition, fertilization is an important measure for maintaining soil fertility and meeting the nutrient elements required for fruit tree growth and development. The type, amount, method, and timing of fertilization all affect the fertilization effect. In production, scientific fertilization should be carried out according to its nutritional characteristics and nutrient status. Dragon fruit has a long flowering period and consumes relatively large amounts of nutrients. Therefore, the demand for fertilizer is relatively large, especially after entering the full production period, and the management of fertilizer and water should be strengthened even more.

Determining a reasonable amount of fertilizer should mainly consider the consumption of the tree itself, the supply capacity of the soil, and the utilization rate of the fertilizer, so as to be more scientific; generally, leaf nutrient analysis is used to determine nutrient surplus or deficiency, and then fertilization is used to make adjustments. Dragon fruit fertilization is mainly based on organic fertilizer, supplemented with a small amount of chemical fertilizer. For the farmyard manure portion, according to a ratio of chicken manure, pig manure, and peanut bran of 1:2:7, the usage amount per 667 sq m is about 9 cubic meters per year (determined according to soil fertility conditions and seedling growth amount). In addition, nitrogen fertilizer and monopotassium phosphate should be applied as needed, and trace fertilizers should also be added in appropriate amounts when there is a nutrient deficiency. Experimental research results show that applying fertilizer at the optimal time can reduce the number of fertilizer applications and improve fertilizer utilization rate. In areas with high temperature and abundant rain, applying thin fertilizer multiple times can improve fertilizer utilization rate. Dragon fruit can be fertilized 3 times each year in July, October, and March of the following year, each time applying 1.2 kg of cow manure compost per plant and 200 grams of compound fertilizer per plant. Field trials abroad show that nitrogen fertilizer application generally has a continuous yield-increasing effect, while the yield-increasing effect of phosphorus fertilizer is shown in the first two years, and potassium fertilizer and trace elements (B, Cu, Zn, Mn) have a better effect on yield increase in the later stage. For high-quality and high-yield cultivation, the recommended fertilization amount for dragon fruit is 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare in the first year; 20 kg of phosphorus pentoxide per hectare each year in the second and third years; and in the third year, 10 kg of potassium oxide per hectare, 5 kg of boron per hectare, and 10 kg each of copper, zinc, and molybdenum per hectare.