Influence of Vermicompost and Biofertilizers on Vegetative Growth and Yield of Dragon Fruit

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science, C. S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (U.P.) for evaluating the Influence of vermicompost and biofertilizers on vegetative growth and yield newly planted Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus costarecencis) in Kanpur region using eleven treatments in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Data analyses revealed that in the second year after planting, growth and yield of dragon fruit were influenced by the use of vermicompost and biofertilizers. The maximum increase in plant length (37.93 cm), number of segments per plant (2.53), number of areoles per segment (9.13), number of spines per areole (0.62), distance between areoles (0.67 cm), stem thickness (0.47 cm), stem circumference (1.34 cm) and number of new sprouts per plant (3.97) was obtained under treatment T9. The highest number of fruits per pillar (12.64) and fruit yield (2.60 kg/pillar) were found with the treatment of T11 during the second year. Dragon fruit has high potential and is remunerative in the second year and onwards in north Indian conditions.