Ku byariwa ka muhandzu wa dragon swi endliwa misava hinkwayo, laha maxelo ya swibyariwa leswi swa tropical cacti swinga lulamela. Leswi swikatsa Afrika Dzonga, laha vuhumelerisi lebyi xaviseriwaka matiko yan’wana byi tlakukaka hi xiyimo xale henhla. Vietnam i vahumelerisi nkulu va muhandzu lowu wa dragon, lowu tlhelaka wu tiviwa tani hi pitaya.
Ndlela yo Rima Muhandzu wa Dragon
Muhandzu wa dragon swikahle kuva wu byariwa hikuva ku tsemiwa swirhabyani.
Swimilani leswi switsakela misava leyi tswongaka kahle mati leyingana swakudya eka tindzhawu leti kufumelaka na mpfula ya kwalomu ka 400 mm naku fika eka 1 500 mm hi lembe. Ku byariwa ka swimilani switlimbana kufika kwalomu ka 1 250 wa swimilani/ha swilawulleka hiku olova, kusiyiwa xipesi xa 4 m x 2.5 m kuya eka 5 m x 2.5 m, kuya hiku kutirhisiwe trellising ya njhani.
Tshindi leri robumbula ri kula kufika kwalomu ka 4 m, eka nguva yin’we yokula naswona rifanele ku tolovetiwa kutani yi boheleriwa eka pala yin’we kumbe eka trellis ya kwalomu ka 1.8 m hi kuleha. Tipala ta concrete titala ku tirhisiwa naswona swimilani swinharhu kumbe mune swinga tolovetiwa kuva swiva eka pala yin’we.
Ehansi ka swipimela swa Afrika Dzonga, ngopfu ngopfu eka tindzhawu letingana mpfula leyinga ehansi ka 400 mm hi lembe, ku cheletiwa ka muhandzu wa dragon swa hlohleteriwa; ncheleto wunga humelerisa muhandzu lowukule.
Muhandzu wa dragon wuhanya kahle eka misava leyingana swakudya yinga nonisiwa.
Pollination ya Mabilomu Muhandzu wa Dragon
Mabilomu lawakulu yo nuhela ya muhandzu wa dragon ya biloma vusiku byin’we ntsena naswona ya cheriwa pollen hintumbuluko hi swihadyani leswi tlharihaka vusiku kufana na mangedyani na makondlo. Ku kumeke leswaku ku cheriwa ka pollen hi mavoko eka mabilomu ya nsinya lowu swinga engetelela vukulu bya muhandzu, kambe e Afrika Dzonga, tinyoxi tihoxa xandla eka ku cheriwa ka pollen ya ximilani lexi. Mabilomu ya sungula ku pfuleka hi 18:00 kutani ya pfaleka hi 11:00 mixo lowu landzelaka, leswi siyaka nkarhi wa kahle wa tinyoxi kuva titirhisa pollen leyi fuweke kusuka eka mabilomu ya nsinya lowu. Mabilomu ya fika kwalomu ka 30 cm hi vukulu lawa yangana kwalomu ka 100 g ya pollen, leswi hlanganisaka vurimi bya nsinya wa dragon na vuhlayisi bya tinyoxi leswingavaka bindzu ra kahle ku anamisa bindzu ra vurimi, leswinga vuyerisaka hikuva tinyoxi titirha swinene eka pollination, ku tsundzuxa Max van Heerden wa Dragon Fruit South Africa.
Ku vonakala na maxelo swipfuneta eka ku biloma naswona muhandzu wa dragon wulava kwalomu ka 12 - 14 wa ti awara ta kuvonakala masiku hinkwawo, se kuvonakala koka kungari ka mampela kunga tirhisiwa ku antswisa ku biloma. Laha Afrika Dzonga, leswi aswi olovi naswona aswi durhi, kambe ka ringetiwa ku engetelela ku vonakala e Amorentia Estate & Nursery e Limpopo. Ti awara timbirhi kumbe tinharhu to engetelela ta rivoni ta tirhisiwa eka matiko yan’wana (e.g. Vietnam) laha mapapa hi ximumu ya sivelaka miseve ya dyambu.
Switsotswani na Mavabyi ya Muhandzu wa dragon
Swimilani swa muhandzu wa dragonswichava ngopfu ku hisiwa hi dyambu, gwitsi xikan’we naku cheletiwa ngopfu kumbe misava leyinga tala mati. Intiyiso, swihari swofana na swifuwo, tinyenyani na minakawa swirhandza muhandzu lowu na matluka ya kona, naswona swimilani swinwana swiva swiri ehansi ka ndzhuti wa net kuva swi sirheleriwa eka kuvupfa ngopfu, tinyenyani naku vavisiwa hi xihangu. E Afrika Dzonga, ndzhuti wa net awu tirhisiwi ngopfu.
Vulavisisi bya Afrika Dzonga byi langute ngopfu eka vulawuri bya switsotswana na mavabyi eka vurimi bya muhandzu wa dragon. Switsotswana swikatsa ti mites, thrips, vusokoti, scale insects, mealy bugs, beetles, slugs, borers, nematodes, fruit flies nati rodents.
Mavabyi ya muhandzu wa dragon yakatsa ku bola, Anthracnose (causing red-brown lesions) na fungal pathogens leti fanaka na Fusarium spp. Xikan’we na Aspergillus spp. Ku engetela kwalano, muhandzu wa dragon wu khoma swinene switsotswani leswi hahaka naswona kunga tirhisiwa ku hisa kumbe moya wo hisa ku susa switsotswana leswi. E Afrika Dzonga ku phasa switsotswana leswi swipfuna ngopfu.
Swiphiqo leswikulu swa khwalithi eka ku xaviseriwa ka matiko mambe eka muhandzu wa dragon iku halahariwa na nhlaselo wa fungi leswi fambelanaka naku vupfa ngopfu.
Ntshovelo wa Muhandzu wa Dragon
Loko muhandzu wukarhi wukula, wusungula ku cinca muhlovo endzhaku ka 26 - 30 wa masiku endzhaku ka pollination. Yifanele kuva yilulamerile ntshovelo hi kwalomu ka 30 kuya ka 34 wa masiku, masiku nyana endzhaku kaloko muhandzu wu cince muhlovo. Hintolovelo wa muhandzu wa dragon loko wu vupfa wu cinca muhlovo, ti acids na nhlayo ya chukele (measured in ºBrix) kambe kuna ndzingano exikarhi ka nhlayo ya acid na chukele leswi tiyisisaka nantswo, kuya hi Howard Blight wa Amorentia Estate & Nursery e Limpopo.
Endzhaku ka ntshovelo hi mavoko, muhandzu wa dragon wuhlantswiwa laha ku susiwaka switlo leswinga lavekeki kutani wuya pimiwa kuya hi ntiko wakona. Muhnadzu wu vekiwa kuya hi leswi wunga vavisekisa xiswona, e.g. vusokoti na tinhongani, shrivel, muhlovo wa nhlonge xikan’we na muhlovo na xiyimo xa mahanti ya muhandzu (‘scales’).
Ximilani lexi xitswala muhandzu endzhaku ka malembe yambirhi kusukela loko xibyariwile naswona xi humelerisa kahle loko xiri na malembe ya ntlhanu. Kuya hi muxaka na xiyimo xa swibyariwa, mbuyelo wa 15 kuya eka 35 tonnes/ha wunga languteriwa.
Vululamisi Endzhaku ka Ntshovelo wa Muhandzu wa Dragon
Ku xaviseriwa ka matiko mambe ka muhandzu wa dragon yinga pakiwa eka nete yobasa ya polystyrene, leyi fanaka swinene na ya mapapawa, yi phutseriwa hi phepha, yi pakiwa eka ti cartons to phambarhala eka ti punnets. Eka mavhengele ya nkombiso, muhandzu wa dragon wunga pakiwa wutele kufika eka 10 kg.
Muhandzu wa dragon wunga tshama kuringana mavhiki mambirhi loko wuvekiwe kwalomu ka 10ºC. Ku xaviseriwa matiko yale handle, muhandzu wa dragon wufanele ku vekiwa eka 3ºC kuya eka 5ºC kuva wutshama exikarhi ka 27 na 42 wa masiku.
Kutsakama loku lavekaka kufanele kuva eka 85% - 90%. Vutomi bya muhandzu endzhaku ka ntshovelo byi engeteleriwa hikokwalaho ka kulawuriwa ka ndzhawu hinkarhi wa nhlayiso, loko swinkwamani leswi lulamisiweke naswona swikota ku engetelela vutomi bya muhandzu wa dragon kuya fika ka 42 wa masiku.
Loko muhandzu wa dragon wu vupfe ngopfu, xikombiso, muhandzu wa ntlawa wa III, wunga tirhisiwa ku endla juzi na pulp, leswinga tirhisiwaka ku endla switirhisiwa swinwani kufana na wayeni, ti rolls na jamu. Mavhengele ya swakudya yofana na Kauai na Starbucks ya tirhisa muhandzu wa dragon eka ti smoothies nati ‘refreshers’.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni