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PASSION FRUIT

Common Name: Passion Fruit

Scientific Name: Passiflora edulis Sims

Other Names: Granadilla, purple granadilla, yellow passion fruit

INTRODUCTION

Passion fruit belongs to the family Passifloraceae that contains 500 species of Passiflora. There are two distinct forms of this species the standard purple type (P. edulis Sims), and the yellow passion fruit P. edulis f. flavicarpa Deg. The purple passion fruit originated from southern Brazil and the yellow form is of unknown origin.

Medicinal uses – the seed can be used as a sedative.

Medicinal Uses: There is currently a revival of interest in the pharmaceutical industry, especially in Europe, in the use of the glycoside, passiflorine, especially from P. incarnata L., as a sedative or tranquilizer. Italian chemists have extracted passiflorine from the air-dried leaves of P. edulis. In Madeira, the juice of passionfruits is given as a digestive stimulant and treatment for gastric cancer.

The purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is the species most commonly grown for commercial purposes in Kenya. It is mainly grown for juice extraction and for the fresh market, including fresh export market to Europe, fruit salads or in beverages.

Botanical description

Passion fruit is a shallow-rooted, woody, perennial, with tendrils. It has alternate, evergreen leaves, 7.5-20 cm long. A single flower is 5-7.5 cm wide borne at each node on a new growth. The fruit is nearly round or ovoid, 4-7.5 cm wide, has a tough rind, smooth, waxy, dark-purple to light-yellow colour. The rind is 3 mm thick, with a layer of white pith and a cavity filled with membranous sacs filled with orange-colored, pulpy juice and as many as 250 small, hard, dark-brown or black, pitted seeds.

VARIETIES

The yellow passion fruit has a more vigorous vine and generally larger fruit than the purple, but the pulp of the purple is less acid, richer in aroma and flavor, and has a higher proportion of juice-35-38% (Morton, 1987). The purple form has black seeds, the yellow, brown seeds.

|Type |Description |Yield (% marketable fruit) |Remarks |
|Purple |Has dark-orange pulp yielding 43 to 56% | | |
|(P. edulis Sim) |bright-orange, richly flavoured juice | | |
|Yellow granadilla |Vigorous species grows to heights of 10 | |Other name yellow passion |
|(P. edulis f. flavicarpa) |m; fruit same as P. edulis but with | |fruit; high resistance to |
| |leathery skin; pulp is white and | |Fusarium wilt |
| |slightly acidic | | |
|Giant | | | |
|Hybrid (P. edulis Sim x P. edulis | | |Commercial cultivar of South|
|f. flavicarpa) | | |Africa |

CLIMATIC AND SOIL REQUIREMENT

Passion fruit grows well in warm to cool climates within altitude 1200-2000m a.s.l. Minimum rainfall for the growth of this crop is 900mm. In areas with a distinct dry season, the crop has to be irrigated to obtain profitable yields.

Soil type and site

The crop can grow in a wide range of soils although the most suitable are medium texture (loamy) soils which are deep and well drained with a PH should be between 5.5-6.5. The planting site should be sunny and protected from strong winds.

Manure and fertilizer application

Dig holes 45x45cm separating the top and sub-soils. For each hole mix the topsoil with a debe (10kg) of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and 125g of Double Superphosphate (46% P2O5) and fill the hole with this mixture. This should be done at least 3 weeks before transplanting.

To stimulate the plants growth, application of 120g of CAN (26% N) one month after planting is recommended. Subsequent application of fertilizer have not shown any crop response at the beginning Foliar feed may be applied (0.25%) when needed.

CROP MANAGEMENT

Land preparation

The land should be well prepared before planting as the commercial life of the crop maybe up to 5 years. The initial cultivation should be deep to allow better and faster root proliferation. Aggressive perennial weeds such as Kikuyu grass should be eliminated before planting.

Propagation

Passion fruit in Kenya is commonly propagated from seed derived from healthy plants that consistently produce large well-filled fruit. The seed should be extracted from healthy yellow passion fruit plants. Fruits should be stored for a week or two to allow them to shrivel and become perfectly ripe before seeds are extracted (Morton, 1987). The pulp should be let to ferment for a few days in a warm room before separating the seeds.

If the seed is planted soon after extraction it will germinate in two to three weeks. Seed germination may be hastened by chipping the seeds, rubbing them with fine sandpaper, or soaking, often recommended, has not proved helpful. Passion fruit seeds have low viability and therefore should be planted within three months after extraction.

The seed can be sown in seedbeds or planted in plastic bags. Seedbeds that are 1 m wide are prepared and the seed sown in drills 1.25 cm deep and 30 cm apart using 200g/ m2 of TSP and covered lightly with soil. A grass mulch is applied on top immediately after sowing to help retain moisture and check weed growth. The mulch should be removed after the seed has germinated (Fig. 1). Water should be applied regularly and the seedlings thinned to 5cm apart when they are 5 cm tall. Top dressing with 300 g CAN/4m2 stimulates rapid growth. The seedlings are ready for grafting after about 3-4 months when the seedlings are about 40 cm high.
For one hectare, using a spacing of 3 m within the row and 2m between rows, 250 g of seed is required.

[pic][pic]

Figure 1. Passion fruit seedling production; beds 1 meter wide; mulch is removed after germination.

Cuttings

Passion fruit may also be propagated using layering or cuttings of matured wood with 3 to 4 nodes (Morton, 1987). Well-rooted cuttings will be ready for setting out in 90 days. Rooting may be hastened by hormone treatment.

Grafting

Yellow passion fruit has both Fusarium wilt (see crop protection section) and nematode resistance and does not sucker from the roots. The yellow passion fruit is the suitable rootstock for grafting purple passion fruit scion. Grafting is done when the rootstock is about 40cm high. Cleft or topwedge grafting is the most efficient method. Cut off the top of the root stock seedlings at about 40 cm high, remove all the leaves and leaf buds on the remaining portion stock. Make a split 25-40 mm long in the cut end of the stock and insert the scion. Scion material should have one leaf attached and from young healthy seedlings (Fig. 2).

The graft union is bound with parafilm or tape. Grafted plants are kept in a shaded place and planted three weeks later when they start growing, shoots growing from root stocks have to be removed.

[pic][pic] a b

[pic]

c d

Figure 2. Grafting passion fruit

Spacing

The recommended spacing is 2 x 3m in non-mechanized cultivation (1,600 plants/ha) and at least 3 x 3m in mechanized cultivation (1,100 plants/ha).

Planting

Prune roots two weeks prior to transplanting of seedlings (Morton, 1987). Transplant seedlings at the beginning of the rains either early morning or late evening. Plant the seedlings at the same depth as it was in the nursery and water to settle the soil around the roots. In hot areas, shade the seedlings after transplanting.

Staking and trellising

The passion fruit will climb up objects such as trees or fences. It is therefore necessary to provide some means of support for the vine for this purpose. The common system of support is by use of plain wires strung on posts and this is referred to as trellise. The trellise should be erected immediately after transplanting. Construct the trellise by using 2.7m long posts with a diameter of 15cm. These are dug 60cm deep and spaced 6m apart in the row (Fig. 3). The end posts are anchored firmly in the ground. Stretch a single strand of wire tightly over each row of posts so erected using a wire strainer. The wires must be fixed firmly to the end posts. The whole structure should then be capable of withstanding the subsequent weight of the crop.

Figure 3. Training passion fruit

Training
To train the vine up to the trellise wire a light stick is driven into the ground close to the plant and tied to the wire or more commonly a piece of sisal twine is tied from the base of the young plant to the wire above.

Figure 4. Training passion fruit

Two healthy shoots at the base of the plant are then selected and these are trained up to the stick or the sisal strands by twining them regularly (Fig. 4). All other shoots below the wire and side branches that emerge are removed regularly until the shoots reach the wire. Shoots are then trained along it in opposite direction by twining and tying regularly. After this it should be ensured that the laterals which bear fruit hang down from the wire.

Pruning

Secondary shoots, old shoots which have produced fruit and dead wood should be removed annually. Pruning once a year will stimulate new growth and consequently more flower and fruit production. Pruning of lateral branches after fruiting aids in disease control and can extend plantation life to 5 or 6 years (Morton, 1987). Additionally, laterals reaching ground level should be cut off 10-15 cm above ground as well as entangling tendrils.

Weeding

Keep the field free from weeds. Passion fruit may be intercropped with vegetables such as beans, cabbage and tomatoes during the first year but not cucurbits that are susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus. It is not advisable to intercrop with high growing crops like maize. Intercropped passion fruits require increased fertilizer rates.

Irrigation

If the crop is irrigated the plants can be kept growing and flowering almost throughout the year. This increases yield and spreads production.

Harvesting

The crop comes into bearing within 7-8 months after transplanting. The fruits fall naturally from the vine when they are ripe. Pick only purple fruit among all the fallen fruits. These are suitable for juice extraction. The main harvest however is not obtained until 12-13 months after transplanting. The economic life of a well maintained orchard is up to 5 years. There are normally two harvesting peaks, one in July-August and another in December-January.

Fresh market passion fruits should be picked when they have developed the characteristic purple colour for purple passion fruit and yellow colour for yellow passion fruit.

Storage

Ripe fruits keep for one week at 2.22º-7.22º C. Fruits stored in unperforated, sealed, polyethylene bags at 23.1º C, have remained in good condition for 2 weeks. Coating with paraffin wax and storing at 5º to 7º C and relative humidity of 85 to 90%, has prevented wrinkling and preserved quality for 30 days (Morton, 1987).

Market

Fresh fruits are sold both in the local and export markets. Grading and packing for export are specified in Cap. 319. of Agricultural produce (Export) Act 1969 for passion fruits as follows:-

1) All passion fruits intended for export should be clean with dry smooth surface skin and have fresh appearance. The surface skin of the fruit should be disease free, have no insect or mechanical damage and have an appreciable purple or yellow colour depending on the variety.

2) The fruit stock of the passion fruit intended for export should not exceed 10mm in length and uniform in size that will not pass a circular hole of 25 mm in diameter.

3) Every container of passion fruit intended for export should be clearly marked on the outside with the number of individual fruits contained therein.

i) Passion fruit intended for export should be packed in rigid containers of timber or card board perforated on the sides to facilitate free air circulation.

ii) Every container should be packed with fruits in multiples of dozens or ten. Up to a weight not exceeding 10kg

iii) Every container should be lined with clean tissue paper under and over the fruit which is suitable layer of padding material to ensure a firm pack.

Yields

An average of 14 metric tonnes (spacing) of fruit/ha/year is possible.

Crop Protection

Diseases

Woodiness virus

Woodiness virus is caused by Cucumber mosaic virus.

Symptoms
The virus disease, "woodiness", or "bullet", appearing as small misshapen fruits with thick rind and small pulp cavity, has been the most serious plague of the purple passionfruit in Australia and East Africa, but it has little effect on the yellow form. The "woodiness" virus (PWV) is also the source of tip blight in the coastal districts of central Queensland. This virus has a wide host range, not only in the genus Passiflora, but also weedy species in the families Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae.

There are a number of different strains of the "woodiness" virus. For many years, inoculation of passionfruit vines with mild strains protected them from further infection, and commercial hybrids containing small doses of mild strains were released to farmers. But, in 1978, a new, more virulent, strain of virus appeared and overcame the "mild strain protection". The New South Wales Passionfruit Growers Association, in response to this new threat, established, in 1979, a Passionfruit Scion Accreditation Scheme to "improve the quality of planting material by field selection and provide scionwood free of the severe strain of woodiness virus", for a standard fee. Generally, 100 scions can be taken from each accredited vine in a season. By 1981, 16,000 scions had been supplied to commercial growers.

This virus disease retards the growth of the plant and the leaves and fruits are deformed. The affected leaves exhibit varying degree of chlorosis while the fruit produced by affected plants are small, very hard with very little juice.

Control

• Field sanitation. Rogue out and burn the affected plants. • Field management. Disinfect pruning equipment with 10 % Jik. • Chemical control. The virus can be controlled also by regular sprays against bugs which act as vectors using Malathion 50% EC. • Clean seed. Seeds should be obtained from plants free of woodiness virus.

Brown spot

Brown spot is caused by the fungus Alternaria passiflorae Sims.

Symptoms

This disease is characterized by round brown lesions on the leaves, fruits and vines. It is severest under humid conditions.

Control

The disease can be controlled by use of the following chemicals.

• Chemical control. Copper fungicides e.g. copper oxychloride Carbamates e.g Dithane or Antracol, Manzate-D etc.

Fusarium wilt

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum.

Symptoms

Fusarium wilt is characterised by wilting of entire plant or plants symptoms when stem is cut. This is followed by drying and death of the infected plants.

Fusarium wilt, arising from the soil-borne fungus, Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. passiflorae, can be reduced only by grafting the purple, or, better still, purple-yellow hybrids, onto the Fusarium-resistant yellow passionfruit rootstock. However, Bedoya et al. have reported that, in the zones of Palmira, Cerrito and Ginebra of the Cauca Valley of Colombia, but not in the zone of Unión, collar rot limits the life of yellow passionfruit plantations to 3 years, and they found, in inoculation experiments, that Fusarium solani produced the symptoms. The first signs are chlorosis, necrosis and defoliation; next there is splitting of the trunk and separation of the bark. The root becomes progressively discolored and red rays extend to the surface of the soil.

Control

Graft purple passion fruit on yellow passion fruit. The latter is resistant to Fusarium wilt.

Pests

Coreid bugs

Symptoms

Two species of bugs puncture vines near the terminal buds which eventually wilt and die. The black coreid bug Anoplocnemis curvipes and greyish bug Leptoglossus membranaceus F. (found in Western Kenya). Both measure about 20mm in length while the males have strong hind legs.

Control

Hand picking and destruction of the pest maybe possible in a small field. However, chemicals maybe sprayed as recommended. (Use high pressure sprayer).

• Chemical control. Carbaryl (Sevin 85% S.P.), Malathion 50% E.C., Endosulfan (Thiodan 35% E.C.), Trichlorphon (Dylox, Dipterex 95% S.P)

Green stink bug
(Acrosternum pallidoconspernum Stal)
[pic]

Symptoms

Green stick bugs about 1mm long with yellow and black marks at the rear end. It punctures the fruits and damaged fruits manifest symptoms of woodiness but feeding holes can be seen on hardened surface of the fruit. Early attack causes fruit distortion and inhibit fruit growth.

Control

As for coreid bugs.

Kenya mealybug
(Planococcus Kenyae)

Whitish to pink masses of insect adhere on fruit, branches and stems sucking sap from plants. Severe attack is associated with sooty moulds and black ants. Whole plant or part wither and die.

Control

• Chemical control. Diazinon (Neocid) 60% E.C., Decis 2.5 EC,.

Aphids (Aphis, spp)

Symptoms

Several species attack passion fruits moderately. Heavy attacks with the green to black lice will weaken plants as they suck substantial amounts of sap.

Control

• Chemical control. Spray with Decis or Malathion as for coreid bugs and mealybug. Formothion (Anthio), Actara.

Flower Thrips

(Thrips tabaci ; Frankhniella Spp.)

Symptoms

Yellowish slender insects often without wings found concealed in flowers injure fruits causing shrivelling and water soaked spots.

Control

• Chemical control. Spray with Thiodan, Decis, Karate, Malathion, Fenthion.

Yellow Mites

(Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks)

Oval arthropod with four pairs of legs found in leaf whorl and flowers. Their feeding causes leaves, flowers and fruits to shed or deform. A dusty appearance is noticed on affected surface.

Control

• Chemical control. Where severe, spray with Dicofol (Kelthane) 18.5% w.p, Brigade 025 EC, Thiodan, Omite

ADDING VALUE

Passion fruit juice can be boiled down to a syrup which is used in making sauce, gelatin desserts, candy, ice cream, sherbet, cake icing, cake filling, meringue or chiffon pie, cold fruit soup, or in cocktails. The seeded pulp is made into jelly or is combined with pineapple or tomato in making jam. The flavor of passion fruit juice is impaired by heat preservation unless it is done by agitated or "spin" pasteurization in the can. The frozen juice can be kept without deterioration for 1 year at 0º F (-17.78º C) and is a very appealing product. The juice can also be "vacuum-puff" dried or freeze-dried. Swiss processors have marketed a passion fruit-based soft drink called "Passaia" for a number of years in Western Europe. Costa Rica produces a wine sold as "Parchita Seco."

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Scion

Rootstock

2.1 m

0.6 m deep

0.7 m

6.0 m

Soil level

0.6 m deep

Properly trained arms

1-4 main leaders

Arms too loose

1 to 3 arms

Light stake (string) attached to wires

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