Alfred Opiyo
Certified Expert
PASSION FRUIT GROWING (passiflora edulis)
Passion fruit is a native commercial fruit crop from southern America (southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina). It's loved and grown for its sweet juicy and seedy fruit. In kenya, passion fruit has gained it's popularity to be ranked as third fruit crop grown both at small ,middle or large scales for commercial purposes. Venturing in passion fruit farming enterprise guarantee a farmer lucrative regular income through out the production period.
Varieties
In Kenya, there are two major and dominant varieties grown for households consumption or commercial gains:-
* Purple passion (does well in high altitude areas with medium rainfall reception)
* Yellow passion( does well in low altitudes and warm areas)
Ecological conditions suitable for passion fruit farming.
-Altitude between 1200-1800 m. above sea level
-Optimum temperature range of 18°c-25°c for purple passion and 30°c for yellow passion.
-Soils need to be well drained, deep and fertile with PH range of 5.5-6.( lower PH apply lime for amendments whereas higher PH use gypsum to correct it back)
NB. Areas that record excessive amount of rainfall aren't suitable for growing this crop since such weather subject the crop to poor fruit set and also is a predisposition to disease attack.
Propagation techniques
-Passion fruit is sown in the nursery with proper management, seedlings become ready for transplanting when are four months old ( stems are pencil size and well hardened).
- It's recommended that the purple variety which is more susceptible to many diseases be grafted using yellow variety as rootstock since the yellow variety is more tolerant/resistant to many diseases.
- Grafting can be done when seedlings are 2-3 months old to give enough time for grafted seedlings to heal up.
Land preparation and planting.
-Land preparation should be done early enough when soils are dry to help manage and get rid of sturbon weeds, enhance soil aeration and achieve proper fine filth.
- Once land is prepared to appropriate standard, planting holes are made at a spacing of 2M×3M whereas the holes dug 60cm deep ×60cm wide. Top soil set aside and mixed properly with well decomposed farm yard manure(1 debe-5-7kgs) per hole/plant.
-Do transplanting at the onset of rainfall when soils have enough moisture levels better be done in the evening or early in the morning, watering may be necessary is there's no rains in the next 24hrs.
-Mixed altogether at planting 175gms of TSP (triple super phosphate) fertilizer per plant
-Apply 300gm of C.A.N per plant preferably in two equal splits per year.
Field Management practices
-For clean fruits and field hygiene construct trellis using wooden posts and plain wires.
the wires should be 2-4 horizontal lines,60cm a part while the posts should be 2-2.5 M
- Old and diseased branches should be pruned
- weed management is done by mechanical methods, chemical and cultural by mulching
-Pest and diseas control are done early enough to avoid economic losses and increased cost of production. see attachments on pests and diseases
Passion fruit will have first flowers at 6-7 months from planting date
Passion fruit is a native commercial fruit crop from southern America (southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina). It's loved and grown for its sweet juicy and seedy fruit. In kenya, passion fruit has gained it's popularity to be ranked as third fruit crop grown both at small ,middle or large scales for commercial purposes. Venturing in passion fruit farming enterprise guarantee a farmer lucrative regular income through out the production period.
Varieties
In Kenya, there are two major and dominant varieties grown for households consumption or commercial gains:-
* Purple passion (does well in high altitude areas with medium rainfall reception)
* Yellow passion( does well in low altitudes and warm areas)
Ecological conditions suitable for passion fruit farming.
-Altitude between 1200-1800 m. above sea level
-Optimum temperature range of 18°c-25°c for purple passion and 30°c for yellow passion.
-Soils need to be well drained, deep and fertile with PH range of 5.5-6.( lower PH apply lime for amendments whereas higher PH use gypsum to correct it back)
NB. Areas that record excessive amount of rainfall aren't suitable for growing this crop since such weather subject the crop to poor fruit set and also is a predisposition to disease attack.
Propagation techniques
-Passion fruit is sown in the nursery with proper management, seedlings become ready for transplanting when are four months old ( stems are pencil size and well hardened).
- It's recommended that the purple variety which is more susceptible to many diseases be grafted using yellow variety as rootstock since the yellow variety is more tolerant/resistant to many diseases.
- Grafting can be done when seedlings are 2-3 months old to give enough time for grafted seedlings to heal up.
Land preparation and planting.
-Land preparation should be done early enough when soils are dry to help manage and get rid of sturbon weeds, enhance soil aeration and achieve proper fine filth.
- Once land is prepared to appropriate standard, planting holes are made at a spacing of 2M×3M whereas the holes dug 60cm deep ×60cm wide. Top soil set aside and mixed properly with well decomposed farm yard manure(1 debe-5-7kgs) per hole/plant.
-Do transplanting at the onset of rainfall when soils have enough moisture levels better be done in the evening or early in the morning, watering may be necessary is there's no rains in the next 24hrs.
-Mixed altogether at planting 175gms of TSP (triple super phosphate) fertilizer per plant
-Apply 300gm of C.A.N per plant preferably in two equal splits per year.
Field Management practices
-For clean fruits and field hygiene construct trellis using wooden posts and plain wires.
the wires should be 2-4 horizontal lines,60cm a part while the posts should be 2-2.5 M
- Old and diseased branches should be pruned
- weed management is done by mechanical methods, chemical and cultural by mulching
-Pest and diseas control are done early enough to avoid economic losses and increased cost of production. see attachments on pests and diseases
Passion fruit will have first flowers at 6-7 months from planting date
Attachments
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