Dragon Fruit–Kamalam

Mizote’n dragon fruit tia kan lo hriat lar, ’Pitaya’ tia koh ni bawk hi India ram pum huap pawha thei lar berte zinga mi a ni a, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)-in a Indian hmingah kamalam a vuah. Mi thiamte sawi danin, a ṭobul hi America ram laili lai leh chhim lampang a ni. He thei hi semi-epiphytic–thingkung dang emaw, thlai dang emaw eng ilo dang ṭan chhana ṭhang lian ṭhin a ni a, a kung, a zâr leh a zîk (node) aṭanga rawn chawr chhuahna tur lai aṭangtein zung a lo chawr chhuak ṭhin. Hei hi ṭan chhan neia a ṭhan chhoh nana puitu ber a ni a, boruak leh nizung hmanga ei tur ṭha leh hnâwnna te la luttu a ni.

Dragon fruit hi Mizote’n kan hmelhriat ṭanna rei ve angreng tawh mah se, Mizorama zau zawka chin ṭan a nih hi kum 2013-2014 inkar kha a ni a. Mizoram Horticulture Department, ICAR, Kolasib leh College of Horticulture, CAU (Imphal), Thenzawl te hi Mizorama zau zawk leh nasa zawka Mizote’n dragon fruit kan hmelhriat theih nana thawh hlawk berte zinga mi an ni. India rama Horticulture zirna in sang pakhat IIH (Indian Institute of Horticulture), Hassaragatha, Bangalore-ah chuan he thei hi mithiamte’n a enkawl dan tur dik taka enkawlin an hlawhtlinpui hle a ni.

Mizoram hi boruak lum leh uapna hmun a ni a, dragon fruit ang thei ṭhan duan duhna tak niin, Mizoramah chuan Kolasib district hi dragon fruit chin lamah an sang ber a. Dragon fruit hi chi hrang pali a awm a–a kâwr sendáng a tak var (Hylocerus undatus), a kâwr sen a tak bawkbawn rawng (Hylocerus costaricensis), a kâwr sendáng a tak sen (Hylocerus polyrhizus) leh a kâwr eng a tak var (Hylocerus megalanthus) te a ni. Mizote zingah a tak sen hi a lar ber laiin khawthlang lamah ve thung chuan a tak var a lar em em thung.

A hrisel em avanga ‘Ssper fruit/food’ tia hriat lar a ni a, vitamin A, C, E leh iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium leh zinc te a pai hnem em em a; theitui leh wine siam nante pawh hman a ni. Natna chi hrang hrang nei tana chaw ṭha tak a ni a. Chaw pai ṭawih harsat, chaw ei tui lo leh êk khal te a veng a; taksaa natna laka min vengtu tichaktu niin, zunthlum, thluak leh lung ṭha lo, ruh chak lo, cholesterol sang, vun chuar hma tur, khaw hmuh fiah lo, kum upat vanga ruh natna neih theih (arthritis) leh anaemia thlengin a veng thei a ni.

Dragon fruit chin dawna kan ngaih pawimawh tur hrang hrangte han sawi ila. Chinna tur hmun/ram lei ṭhatna leh nizung hmu ṭha ni thei se. A ṭang tan (cutting) thla 4-6 vel tala upa bakah, mau emaw, cement ban emaw leh a chung lama a zár inpharhna tur tyre, ban khat zelah kung 3-4 vel a dah zel theih a. Phun hun hi June-August a ni tlangpui a, metre 2x2 emaw, 3x3 emawa inhlata phun tur a ni a, di leh hnim a chhehvela awmtir loh a ṭha.

Dragon fruit kan phun tirh aṭanga kum eng emaw ti chhung chu kan phunna inkarah thlai chin mai awlsam tur tui pek reng ngai lo a phun theih a, hei hian sum lak luhna a siam belh dawn a ni. Ruahtuia châwm pawh hi tawk viau mah se, a peka pek hian a thei hriselna leh rah hnem leh hnem loh a hril thui hle a, October-January inkar khaw ro chhoh laiin an mamawh zual ṭhin. Leiṭha NPK 60:20:30g rate angin kung khat zelah kum tina pek hi an ngeih em em. Zan lamah par a chhuah ṭhin avangin zan lama êng pek theih dan tur ngaihtuah theih a ṭha.

Hand pollination: Mihringin mahni kut hmang ngeia thli emaw, rannung emaw puihna tel lova a par phut lai (pollen), a pa par (stigma)-a va tah a, rah chhuahtir emaw, a chi insiamtir dan hi ram dang leh state danga zau zawka dragon fruit an chinnaahte chuan an uar em em a; Mizo zingah erawh he tih dan hi hmelhriat a la ni ve lo. Mizorama dragon fruit kan chin dan tlangpuiah, a par chhuah leh a rah hun hi April (tui pek ṭhatin) emaw, May (ruahtui rinin) a ni ṭhin a, phun a nih hnu thla 14-16 hnuah a ni tlangpui. A rah seng hun hi a par aṭanga ni 30-45 a ni a, May aṭanga November thleng a seng theih ṭhin a, hemi inkarah hian ṭum 4-6 vel a seng theih ṭhin. He thei ban khat, zâr 3-4 nei aṭang hian kg. 25-35 rah vel kan hmu thei a, a man hi kg 1 zelah Rs 250-300 a ni tlangpui.

ICAR-NEH Mizoram Centre, Kolasib leh College of Horticulture, CAU (Imphal), Thenzawl ten dragon fruit hlutna hriaa sum lak luhna kawnga theihna a neih sanzia hriain Mizote hmelhriattir kawnga tun thlenga an thawh hlâwkna leh an beihnaah fak an phu hliah hliah a. Heng nursery-a enkawl, phun chhuah, a rah senga hralh chhuah leh thlenga Mizote tana hma an lo lak tawhnate a lawmawm em em. Chutih rualin, Mizoram chhung mai ni lo, state dangahte pawh hralh chhuah theih dan tur kawng dap theih ni se, lo nei mite tiphurtu leh an tana malsawmna lian tak a ni ang. Tin, nasa zawka chin a nih chuan rah tam zawk seng a ni ngei ang a, seng a lo tam chuan a man pawh a lo tlawm thei zawk ang a, a leitute leh a zuartu lo neitute tana hlawkna lian tak a chang thei a ni.

- Lalrintlingi Pautu & Nongthombam Devachandra