Background:
Dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) has emerged as an important high-value fruit crop because of its adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, comparatively efficient water use, attractive fruit characteristics and growing consumer demand. Its cultivation is expanding rapidly in tropical and subtropical regions, creating new opportunities for diversification, sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient horticultural production.
However, the expansion of dragon-fruit cultivation is accompanied by several challenges, including genotype × environment interactions, inconsistent productivity, flowering regulation, light and temperature responses, nutrient management, water stress, disease incidence, fruit quality variation and postharvest losses. Climate change further increases the need for improved cultivars and production systems capable of maintaining productivity and fruit quality under changing environmental conditions.
Recent advances in genomics, phenotyping, plant physiology, metabolomics, biochemistry, precision agriculture and sustainable production technologies provide new opportunities to address these challenges. Therefore, an integrated understanding of dragon-fruit genetics, physiology, production technology, stress responses, fruit quality and postharvest biology is essential for developing resilient and economically viable production systems.
Aim and significance:
This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances in dragon-fruit cultivar improvement, physiology, production technology, stress management, sustainable cultivation, fruit quality, biochemical characterization and postharvest management.
The Special Issue will provide a multidisciplinary platform for researchers to present original research, reviews and emerging technologies that can contribute to the development of productive, sustainable and climate-resilient dragon-fruit production systems.
Dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) is an emerging high-value fruit crop with considerable potential for sustainable and climate-resilient horticulture. However, challenges related to genotype × environment interactions, flowering, light management, water and nutrient use, abiotic and biotic stresses, fruit quality and postharvest losses remain important constraints. This Special Issue will bring together recent advances in dragon-fruit cultivar improvement, physiology, sustainable production, stress management, fruit quality, biochemical and molecular characterization, postharvest technology and value addition. Original research, reviews, methodological studies and perspectives addressing innovative approaches for productive, sustainable and climate-resilient dragon-fruit production are particularly welcome.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Dragon-fruit germplasm characterization and genetic diversity
- Cultivar evaluation and genotype × environment interactions
- Breeding and molecular improvement of dragon fruit
- Flowering, pollination and reproductive biology
- Light regulation and canopy management
- Physiology of dragon fruit under different environmental conditions
- Water-use efficiency and drought adaptation
- Nutrient management and nutrient-use efficiency
- Abiotic stress responses and climate resilience
- Biotic stresses and emerging diseases of dragon fruit
- Integrated disease and pest management
- Sustainable and organic dragon-fruit production
- Precision agriculture and digital technologies
- Fruit biochemical composition and nutritional quality
- Betalains, phenolics, antioxidants and other bioactive compounds
- Metabolomics and molecular approaches in dragon fruit
- Fruit maturity, harvesting and postharvest physiology
- Postharvest technologies and shelf-life extension
- Value addition and utilization of dragon-fruit waste
- Future perspectives for climate-resilient dragon-fruit production
The Special Issue welcomes Original Research Articles, Review Articles, Short Communications, Methodological Articles and Perspectives addressing recent advances in dragon-fruit science and technology.
Through this special issue, we aim to address the recent advances in dragon-fruit science and technology. We welcome researchers from various disciplines to provide interdisciplinary perspectives on Dragon fruit. Your contributions will play a crucial role in advancing knowledge in this field.
