Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand 2020 September/October | Page 44
Pop
GOES THE
Dragon
Fruit
Colourful, healthy, delicious, and well-suited to thrive in
a hydroponic setup, dragon fruit are quickly becoming
popular among indoor growers. by Dr. Lynette Morgan
Vividly coloured and clad in scales,
dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is
an exotic fruit growing in popularity for its
purported health benefits. While native to
the tropical rainforests of Central and South
America, dragon fruit have been cultivated in
Asia for more than 100 years and are now being
identified as a potentially profitable commercial
greenhouse crop. With skin colours ranging
from deep red, pink, or yellow, the flesh is
succulent, sweet, and flecked with small black
edible seeds. Plants are prolific and fruit size is
typically between 0.3-0.4 kilograms, however,
some cultivars can produce fruit of up to 0.8 kg.
Usually eaten as a fresh fruit with flesh which
ranges from white to deep red, pitaya can also
be used in juices and smoothies as well as
jellies, ices, yogurt, and similar dishes.
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Maximum Yield