HOW TO GROW PASSION FRUIT IN KENYA

PASSION FRUIT

Passiflora  edulius

family passifiloraceae

ORIGIN

It origanated from south Brazil

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTIS

• It is a woody perennial vine which can grow up to a height  of 15m
• It has tendris for supporting it self on objects
• The flowers are very showy or premiant and consist of 3 stigma 11 sepals

ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. SOIL -the soil should be deep fertile and well drain, the soil PH should range between 5.5 – 7.0
2. RAINFALL -1000-1800m/pa well distributed during the growing period
3. TEMPERATURE – 18^0c -30^oc
4. ALITITUDE – 1200-1800m a.s.l

VARITIES

They are two types of varieties of passion fruit which are

• Purple variety
• Yellow variety

PURPLE VARIETY

• It is egg-shaped
• The skin is deep purple when ripe
• It has excellent flavor
• It is commercially grown in Kenya

YELLOW VARIETY

• The fruits are large then those of purple variety
• The skin colour is yellow when ripe
• The fruit pulp is yellow when ripe
• It is very acidic

PROPAGATION

It is propagated through seed and grafting technology

The seeds have a very low viability and should be planted within 3 months after extraction

Seed rate 250g /ha

FIELD ESTABLISHMENT

1. LAND PREPARATION deep ploughing and harrowing twice 3 months before planting
2. SPACING 3m by 2m unmechanized 3m by 3m mechanized

• HOLE PREPARATION recommended size of the hole 45 cm by 45 cm separate subsoil from the top soil mix the top soil with one debe of farmyard manure and return them to the hole

1. PLANTING it should be done at the onset of the rains transplanting should be done when seedlings are 20-25cm height apply 125g of DSP per plant
2. TRELLSING – is a process of erecting strong poles and wire for a passion portion field

                PROCEDURE OF TRELLSING

• Dig holes 60cm deep at spacing of 6m apart a long each row of the plant
• Erect the poles 2.7m long with a diameter of 15cm
• Erect the wire on top of the poles
• Ensure that the wire is tightened as much as possible

STAKING

Tie a piece of a sisal twine from the base of the young plant up to the trellis of

The young plant

Select 2 healthy shoots and allow them to grow along the stake or sisal twine                                              by tiering them regularly

Prun off all other unwanted shoots and flowers that emerge before trellises

This should be done regularly until the two selected shoots reach the wire

When the two selected shoots reach the wire direct them in opposite direction

By twinning and tieing them regularly

Do not prun the side shoots or branches that grow along the trellis

Leave them to hung down flower and form fruits

When the hunging shoots reach ground cutoff 15cm above the ground

Remove all the tendrils that develop on the trellises wire so that the shoots can

Hung freely and also allow free air circulation and light penetration

ORCHARD MAINTANCE PRACTICES

1. Weed control
2. Irrigation when rainfall is adequate

• Top dressing 120g of CAN per plant in two splits during flowering as to improve the quality of the fruit

1. Crop rotation it should be done every 3-4seasons
2. Intercropping using low growing crops like vegetables and legumes during the first years of establishment
3. Pest and disease control

Bearing of fruits start 7-8 months after transplanting when ripe the fruits fall naturally from the vine in a process called ABSCISSION

HARVESTING

Pick only fallen fruits

There are two harvesting peaks in Kenya

• July – august
• December -January

YIELDS

10 to 20 tonnes per/ha/yr.

Economic lifespan is up to 4years