Optimal areas and climate change effects on dragon fruit cultivation in Mesoamerica

Abstract

Climbing cacti with edible fruits have been proposed as new dryland fruit crops because their high water-use efficiency reduces water requirement. One lineage of climbers in the cactus family, the Hylocereus group of Selenicereus, includes several species that produce edible fruits and is currently cultivated around the world. Fruits are known as pitahayas, pitayas or dragon fruit. Here, by means of ecological niche-based modelling and analytical hierarchical modelling, the optimal areas for cultivating the three main species of this group in Mesoamerica – Selenicereus costaricensis, Selenicereus ocamponis and Selenicereus undatus – are identified. Data on distribution, physiological requirement and host preferences are taken into account to carry out ecological modelling for current and future scenarios of climate and determine its impact on cultivation. Two MIROC climatic future models, one optimistic (ssp216) and a pessimistic (ssp585) were selected and 554 records from Mexico and Central America were gathered. For all three species, temperature and precipitation seasonality, and solar radiation were the most significant variables in the niche modelling. In addition, for S. undatus the most important hosts, three species of mesquite legume trees were significant to forecast suitable areas for planting. Large areas on the Pacific side from Sinaloa to Costa Rica were predicted as favourable for cultivating the studied three species. Future scenarios of climate change predicted increase of suitable areas for two species and in particular for S. undatus the increment was the largest. Therefore, dragon fruits are corroborated as promising fruits in view of climate change.

Stem transcriptome screen for selection in wild and cultivated pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus): an epiphytic cactus with edible fruit

“…This research is the first to investigate transcriptomic signal in stems of wild plants of S. undatus . Plants were collected in the north of the Gulf of Mexico Province, in ravines with tropical dry forests, growing over several legume trees in areas with annual average temperature of 30 °C and annual precipitation of 1,500 mm ( Sosa et al, 2020 ). In contrast, cultivated plants were collected in the Maya domain, in the Yucatan Peninsula, in “solares” or homegardens where they have been managed and cultivated for centuries ( Colunga-García Marín & Zizumbo-Villarreal, 2004 ).…”

“…Pitahayas are recognized as promising crops in areas with dry climates because they possess adaptations for occupying arid and semi-arid areas, and are creating fresh interest in view of global climate warming ( Nerd, Tel-Zur & Mizrahi, 2002 ; Le Bellec, Vaillant & Imbert, 2006 ; Mizrahi, 2014 ; Sosa et al, 2020 ). The fruit of five species of Neotropical epiphytic cacti in the Hylocereus group of Selenicereus are known as dragon fruit, pitahaya or pitaya ( S. costaricencis, S. megalanthus, S. monacanthus, S. ocamponis and S. undatus ) ( Nerd, Tel-Zur & Mizrahi, 2002 ; Le Bellec, Vaillant & Imbert, 2006 ; Mizrahi, 2014 ).…”

“…It develops fruits with a reddish-purple pericarp and whitish pulp ( Nerd, Tel-Zur & Mizrahi, 2002 ; Le Bellec, Vaillant & Imbert, 2006 ). This species is native to Mexico and Central America and some islands of the Lesser Antilles ( Bauer, 2003 ; Barthlott et al, 2015 ; Sosa et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Thus, in this study we explore whether there are unique transcriptomic signatures in the stems of wild and cultivated plants of S. undatus to gain insight into its management. Ecological-based niche modeling forecasted that S. undatus would have the largest predicted distribution, able to withstand dry and semi-dry climates ( Sosa et al, 2020 ). Previous research discovered that variation in organs such as the roots and shoots of useful plants can be attributed to management for adaptation to intermittent drought ( e.g.…”

Climate Change Scenarios and the Dragon Fruit Climatic Zoning in Brazil

“…Its agricultural and economic potential has promoted the expansion of cultivation to different regions of Brazil with varied climatic conditions. In addition, the rusticity of the pitaya combined with its ability to tolerate high temperatures has allowed the cultivation in different environments, especially under stress conditions, as found in semi-arid regions where conditions of high temperatures and long periods of water limitation in the soil are frequent (Sosa et al, 2020).…”