Vol. 12, Issue 1 (2023)

Author(s):
Chandni V Mori, AR Patel, VK Parmar and GS Patel

Abstract:
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) is one of the exotic fruit grown across the world. The fruit has a very attractive colour and mellow mouth melting pulp with a black colour seed embedded in the pulp along with tremendous nutritive properties which attract growers from different parts of India to cultivate this fruit crop which originated in Mexico and Central & South America. It is a long day plant with beautiful night blooming flower that is nick named as “Noble Woman” or “Queen of the Night”. Fruit is named as pitaya because of the bracts or scales on the fruit skin and hence the name of pitaya means ‘‘the scaly fruit’’. Pitaya fruit is the most nutritious and wonderful exotic fruits. It is a favourite to many, particularly people of Asian origin.