Manual cross-pollination on the profitability of a pitaya orchard with self-compatible and self-incompatible species

The high dependence on cross-pollination in self-incompatible pitaya species causes low productivity. The objective, with the accomplishment of this work, was to compare the profitability of the pitaya orchard with the management of manual cross-pollination and natural pollination in self-compatible and self-incompatible species. Data were obtained from an experimental orchard formed with species Selenicereus monacanthus (self-incompatible) and S. undatus (self-compatible). The flowers of both species were manually and naturally pollinated by native pollinators, in all flowering fluxes of the plants. The profitability assessment considered the established activities from implementation and maintenance to the third productive cycle of the orchard. The management of manual cross-pollination in pitaya orchards increased productivity by more than 150%, from the first production cycle. Manual cross-pollination made it possible to profitability the capital invested in 1.0 hectare of pitaya in the second productive cycle of the orchard, with a profitability of 76%. With natural pollination, the profitability on the initial investment occurred in the third production cycle, with a profitability of 72%. The profitability of pitaya orchard is higher with manual cross-pollination in self-compatible and self-incompatible species compared to natural pollination.