Fertilizer Application And Efficient Use Of N Fertilizer To Increase Growth, Yield, And Quality Of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus Polyrhizus)

Abstract

In tropical and subtropical regions, dragon fruit, a distinctive tropical fruit, is highly popular. Dragon fruit productivity is influenced by soil nutrient availability, which requires fertilizer input. However, there is limited study on how nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency affects dragon fruit growth, production, and quality. The research was conducted in Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia, from 2021-2022. The study consisted of two stages: a factorial randomized block design with N fertilizer at four dose levels (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha^-1) and phosphate (P) fertilizer at four dose levels (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha^-1) with three replicates at the vegetative stage; and a complete randomized block design with N fertilizer at doses of 0, 200, 300, and 400 kg ha^-1 with four replicates at the generative stage. The study found that adding N fertilizer at different rates significantly affected dragon fruit's vegetative (plant height and shoot numbers) and generative stages (shoot numbers, number of flowers, number of fruits, and fruit production). Applying N fertilizer at rates of up to 200 kg ha^-1 was effective and more efficient than other treatments since it increased the total amount of flowers, fruits, and fruit production.  This study revealed a positive correlation between fruit production and shoot numbers, the total number of flowers, and fruits. The PFP_N parameter showed significant differences, with the maximum PFP_N observed at N 200 kg ha^-1 and the lowest at N 400 kg ha^-1; however, the AE_N parameter values showed no significant difference.