Sunburn mitigation in dragon fruit (<i>Hylocereus</i> spp.): unravelling genotype-specific physiological and biochemical responses.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Sunburn is a major abiotic stress affecting dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), impairing tissue integrity, disrupting physiological functions, and significantly reducing yield. Developing effective mitigation strategies is critical for sustaining productivity under high radiation conditions.

Methods

This study evaluated the efficacy of eleven treatments combining kaolin (5%) with shade net, seaweed extract (0.5%), and various biostimulants in red (H. costaricensis 'CHESH-D1') and white (H. undatus 'CHESH-W1') genotypes. Treatments included T1 (water spray control), T2 (kaolin 5% + green monofilament shade net 30%), and T3-T11 involving kaolin (5%) + seaweed extract (0.5%) combined individually with silica (0.5%, T4), micronutrients (0.5%, T5), petrole

SUBMITTER: Karunakaran G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12461260 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature