[PP355] Stem and Fruit Canker of Dragon Fruit in South Florida

Dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya, pitaya, and strawberry pear, is a group of vine-like, climbing cacti that originated from Mexico, Central, and South America. It has been introduced and cultivated in Vietnam for more than 120 years. Between the 1990s and 2000s, dragon fruit was introduced into other Asian countries, the Middle East, Australia and the United States as an exotic fruit crop. The short time period from planting to first harvest (≤ 2 years), relatively low maintenance, high nutrient value of the fruit, and increasing demand in the market have made dragon fruit a welcomed fruit crop in the United States. In particular, growers in Florida consider dragon fruit as a potential alternative fruit crop to avocado and citrus, two economically important fruit crops largely impacted and compromised by laurel wilt and huanglongbing, respectively. In South Florida, production of dragon fruit has been steadily increasing since the 2000s and the total acreage has exceeded 720 acres according to a recent estimate. In this article, we focused on the symptomology and epidemiology of stem and fruit canker, a prevailing disease on dragon fruit, in South Florida. Suggested management strategies for the disease and future works are also discussed based on recent studies conducted in South Florida.