Pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) as an Emerging High-Value Crop: Advances in Production, Bioactive Compounds, Postharvest Technologies and Innovation

Pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.), commonly known as dragon fruit, has attracted increasing attention as a high-value crop because of its nutritional attributes, environmental adaptability, and growing market demand. However, existing reviews typically address individual topics—such as nutrition, cultivation, postharvest management, or sustainability—without integrating these aspects across the production cycle. This fragmentation hinders a comprehensive understanding of how propagation methods, agronomic and reproductive management, and cultivation conditions influence fruit quality and postharvest performance. This review synthesizes scientific and technological evidence on propagation, cultivation systems, agronomic management, nutritional composition, fruit quality, postharvest technologies, by-product valorization, sustainability, and innovation. Scientific publications and patents published between January 2019 and March 2026 were analyzed. An initial search identified approximately 170 scientific records and 2000 patent records; after screening, 105 scientific publications and 96 patents were included in the review. The evidence indicates advances in vegetative propagation, greenhouse and soilless cultivation, nutrient and environmental management, characterization of bioactive compounds, postharvest preservation, and by-product valorization. Patent activity also reflects technological developments in protected cultivation, structural support systems, and digital agriculture. Nevertheless, commercial-scale validation, standardized crop-specific management protocols, quantitative comparisons among production systems, and effective technology transfer remain limited.