A review on genetic resources, breeding status and strategies of dragon fruit

Abstract

Climate change has a detrimental impact on food security, agricultural productivity, production stability, and revenue. As a result, agriculture must adapt to changing scenarios in order to meet the demand for food security and to endure the impact of climate change. Hence, under these situations, more focus should be given to climate-smart crops that can resist climate change and provide food to the population with minimal inputs. In this context, the production of dragon fruit crops can be a viable option. Dragon fruit is an important fruit crop in the Cactaceae family and is known for its high nutraceutical properties, greater monetary returns, low maintenance, and stress resistance. Three of its species viz. Selenecereus undatus, Selenecereus megalanthus, and Selenecereus polyrhizus are extensively grown in the world. The present review will focus on the adaptation and applicability of the dragon fruit in all situations under the climate change scenarios. This paper reviews all available information related to taxonomy, botany, cytogenetics, genetic resources (species and cultivars), phenology, flowering biology, breeding methodologies, and genomic approaches that would be useful for students, researchers, and policymakers.