Training on Dragon Fruit Farming

Mukti organized a training program on Dragon fruit farming for the Mukti supervisors and staff engaged with the Go Green and Mukti Gram project at the ground floor of the Mukti guest house in the Mukti library office premises on 14^th March 2023. 20 supervisors and staff attended the training session.

During this session, Prabir Purkait an experienced and knowledgeable trainer of SAM demonstrated to the trainees about Dragon fruit cultivation methods for better yield.

• He informed the trainees that there are 300 different species of Dargon fruit plants. But among the species, three main races are – red, yellow and white.
• He taught the trainees the cutting method to produce dragon fruit tree seedlings.
• He explains the rules for planting seedlings in soil.
• There are mainly two types of dragon tree diseases – fungal diseases and insect diseases. He recommends using organically produced waste mix (“বর্জ্য মিশ্রন”) for fungal diseases and Neem oil or firearm (আগ্নেয়াস্ত্র) for insect-infested diseases twice a month.
• If the dragon fruit cultivator wants to get yield in one year then he should take one branch of each of the 4 seedlings under a pole to the limit and cut the remaining branches. Each branch will grow three branches that will bear fruit.
• In terms of using fertilizers, he gives importance to organic fertilizers. Vermicompost should be used at 1 kg per post. With vermicompost “Amritopani” (organic fertilizer) can also be used.
• If the dragon tree branches are carefully nurtured from November to March, the plants will grow flowers in March-April by pulling method and the plants will bear fruit from May to December.
• The most important thing in planting dragon seedlings is that the plants get enough sunlight for 8 hours a day.
• Pollination at night is very important for bearing fruit.