Passion fruit, which can be found in many tropical and subtropical areas, is a fruit with an oval shape that produces juice with a very strong exotic flavour and a bright orange hue. The strong passion fruit vine clings to practically any support with its tendrils. The fruit is roughly spherical or ovoid, 1-1/2 to 3 inches wide, and has a strong, smooth, waxy peel that ranges in colour from dark purple to light yellow or pumpkin-coloured. There is a hole within that is roughly filled with a fragrant mass of double-walled, membranous sacs that contain pulpy fluid that is orange in colour and up to 250 tiny, hard, dark brown or black, pitted seeds.
Purple passion fruit, yellow passion fruit, sweet passion fruit, giant passion fruit, banana passion fruit, and purple passion fruit are the different varieties of passion fruit grown in Kenya;
• Purple Passion Fruit
The most widely grown kind of passion fruit in Kenya and the one used most frequently to make juice is the purple variety. It thrives in cool climates between 1200 and 1800 meters above sea level east of the Rift Valley and 2000 meters above sea level west of the Rift Valley. The purple passionfruit has an oval or spherical shape with a diameter of 4 to 6 cm. When ripe, the colour changes from green to a rich purple. When the fruits are ready, they typically fall from the vine. Whether it is eaten fresh, cooked, or frozen, purple passion has an exceptional flavour.
• Yellow Passion
Compared to the purple passion, the yellow passion is better suited to the tropical lowlands. Additionally, it is stronger. The pulp has an acidic scent. The purple passion fruit is slightly larger than the fruit. When it ripens, it changes from green to yellow. Normally, ripe fruits fall off of the vines. The yellow variant is used to graft the purple variety since it is resistant to illnesses carried by the soil.
• Sweet Passion
The sweet passion, also known by its common name Sweet Granadilla and scientific name Passiflora Ligularis, thrives in milder climes at elevations of 1500 meters above sea level. When ripe, the sweet passion fruit changes colour from blue to orange-brown and has a wonderful flavour. It can resist transit without being harmed thanks to its strong rind and white-scented pulp.
• Giant Passion (Granilla)
At sea level and up to 1700 meters above sea level, the enormous passion fruit can flourish. The fruit changes from green to yellow when it is ripe, and the plant can reach a height of 30 meters. Fresh fruits are consumed.
• Banana Passion
The banana passion fruit grows in cooler, higher temperatures at elevations more than 1500 meters.
ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR GROWING PASSION FRUITS
Being a tropical plant, passion fruit must be produced in warm environments. Eastern Province and Nyanza Province are the places where this form of farming is possible due to the local climate.
• Their ideal growing conditions are moist soils with a PH range of five to eight.
• They need full light in the morning and shade from around 12:00 to 18:00 hours each day in the afternoon.
• It may grow best at temperatures between 18 and 27 °C (65 and 80 °F).
• Although the plant is resistant to frost, a brief, light frost is tolerable.
• Windy environments are inhospitable to the growth of passion fruits.
PROPAGATION
Typically, passion fruit is multiplied via seed, cuttings, and grafts. When growing seeds, the seeds need to be cleaned of pulp, dried in the shade and then planted in soil-filled pots or a prepared nursery. After 2-4 weeks, germination occurs. Seedlings should be raised in polythene bags for two months before being transplanted. Additionally, you can graft the good rootstock variety yellow passion with a purple passion. After three to four months and when they reach a height of 15 to 25 cm, the seedlings will be prepared for transplanting.
PLANTING
• Choose a location with adequate shelter coverage. The vines need protected areas with moderate temperatures.
• 2-4 months before planting, deeply till the ground.
• Before transplanting, dig planting holes that measure 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. Subsoil and topsoil should be kept apart. 2 meters between rows and 3 meters inside of rows is the recommended distance between holes.
• To each hole, add 1-2 debes of manure and 2 handfuls of planting fertilizer, such as DAP/TSP, and stir thoroughly.
• In each hole, plant a wholesome seedling and pack the dirt firmly.
• Good watering and mulch
FIELD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
• Pruning – Begin pruning plants as soon as they are transplanted to encourage the growth of more branches that will bear more fruit. Carefully remove weeds to protect the plant. To eradicate weeds and safeguard the roots, spread mulch between the rows of plants or around their bases.
• Training – Train vines to climb the trellis’ wires as soon as you can. Place stakes next to each plant and secure them to the wire using screws. When vines begin to grow, prune such that two leaders are strong shoots. Twine it in place and loosely tie it to sticks.
• Trellising – Create a trellis as the plant grows by using stakes. To allow the climbing plant tree to spread and prevent the fruits from touching the ground, support stems with sticks spaced ten meters apart. The vines will train along the wire in different directions once they have reached it. Allow the stems of any budding laterals to hang down freely.
• Fertilization – Apply a few handfuls of CAN to each plant four weeks after planting. Repeat until the stem tips touch the wire every 3 to 4 weeks. For best harvests, use manure every three months as well.
• Pruning – Eliminate dead stems and unproductive shoots. Cut off any further shoots that make it to the ground. It is possible to compel laterals to leaf out if they do not emerge in time by pinching off the shoot tip. To prevent the spread of viral illnesses, disinfect with detergents after each trimming.
• Intercropping – Plant vegetables, particularly those like beans, cabbages, and tomatoes, alongside passion fruit. With crops like potatoes, beets, carrots, spinach, strawberries, eggplants, peppers, and onions, you can intercrop as well. This will produce quality compost and aid with erosion management. Keep out of the Cucurbit family, which includes cucumbers, pumpkins, and squashes. They have the same diseases and pests. Additionally, avoid intercropping Okra, sorghum, cowpea, and maize.
PESTS AFFECTING THE PASSION FRUIT
• Red Spider Mites
The lower leaf surfaces between the veins are infested with red spider mites, which cause the leaves to dry out. Uprooting the infected plant and maintaining a weed-free field are effective ways to control them. You can use pesticides like Mitac and Dynamec.
• Mealy Bugs
Mealybugs are waxy-thread-coated pinkish oval-shaped stationery bugs. Mealybugs can be handled by removing the strongly affected plants, trimming and killing the infested plant portions, and applying insecticides like Karate.
• Fruit Fly
Fruit flies lay their eggs on the fruit, which causes sunken brown blotches when the white maggots that emerge from the eggs enter the fruit. Pesticides such as Decis, Bestox, Fastac, karate, and Labaycid can be used to suppress fruit flies.
• Aphids
Aphids, which are green in hue, scavenge tissue sap. They spread pathogens like the woodiness virus. Natural enemies like ladybugs and broad-spectrum pesticides like Decis are typically used to manage aphids.
• Thrips
Passion fruit sections that have thrips attached shrivel blooms wilt, and young fruits drop off too soon. Fruits have blemishes, while leaves and new shoots are distorted.
• Stink bugs
The passion fruit is infested by the green vegetable stink insect, the yellow edge stink bug, and the brown stink bug. They pierce fresh fruits and suck them. Sunken, pierced areas result in poor fruit quality. Stink bugs can be removed manually or with the help of pesticides like Decis.
• Nematodes
Nematodes are soil-dwelling organisms that cause the roots to develop knots or galls. This results in the yellowing of the leaves and stunted growth. Plants that are impacted eventually perish. Rotate with cassava, grains, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and kale to prevent nematodes. For grafting, use yellow passion rootstock. Use sanitary planting supplies and practice good field hygiene.
DISEASES AFFECTING THE PASSION FRUIT
• Fusarium Wilt
The plant will wilt and eventually die if it has fusarium wilt. Brown stains will appear in the vascular tissues. Use yellow passion rootstock, grafted at a height of more than 45 cm, to ward off fusarium wilt. Make use of sterilized potting soil.
• Blight
When passion fruits are affected by blight, dark, water-soaked lesions show up on the leaves. As infected tissues degenerate, they later spread to the remainder of the plant. Young shoots and older plants are both impacted by blight. By maintaining adequate field hygiene, blight can be avoided. Use Dacomil or Polyram to cure blight.
• Brown Spot
Brown rings with dead spots are produced when brown spots attack the leaves and fruits. The illness begins on the leaves and can spread to the axils and terms of the leaves. Vine thinning to allow for aeration will help to ward off brown spot disease. Fungicides like Dacomil/Milraz, Antacol, or Ridomil can be used to treat brown patches.
• Woodiness Virus
Distorted leaves and woody fruits are symptoms of the woodiness viral illness. The vines will wither away, and the plants are stunted with little yields. Sterilize the pruning implements with formaldehyde or sodium hypochlorite (Jik bleach) to avoid the woodiness virus. Control any organism that may be a viral carrier, and get rid of any weeds.
• Die Backs
At the middle or tip of the branches, the vines begin to wither. Branch dieback occurs in the last stages, together with cortical and branch drying up. If the branches in your passion fruit orchard are contaminated with diebacks, cut them off and apply copper-based fungicides to the remaining healthy branches.
HARVESTING PASSION FRUITS
• Between eight- and twelve months following transplantation, the orchard will be ready for harvesting.
• Pick the fruits when they turn from green to purple, when the calyx dries up, and with a short stock still attached if the fresh market is your aim. The processing market is the intended market, so let the fruits fall onto the tidy mulch. Puck the fruits every other day and keep them in a cool area during the rainy seasons.
• Passion fruit harvesting peaks occur in July through August and December through January.
WHEN HARVESTING PASSION FRUITS: –
• To prevent causing harm to other fruits, shorten the stalk.
• If insecticides are applied, adhere to their pre-harvest window of time
• To prevent being baked by the sun, any fallen fruit should be picked each day in the morning.
• As soon as the fruits are free of any outside wetness, ideally between 9 and 11 am, they should be harvested into plastic buckets.
• To prevent damaging the fruit, gently place it in the buckets.
• Wet fruits should be dried as quickly as possible by air drying in a shaded area.
PASSION FRUIT EARNINGS IN KENYA
Passion fruits are the most profitable of all fruits due to their sweet-tart flavour and great demand. As a result, they are an excellent investment for starting your farm.
Passion fruit typically costs roughly Kshs 60 per kilogram in Kenya (Kg). For the past few years, its price has been rising gradually, and there are no immediate signs that this trend will reverse.
The largest yield per acre of passion fruit in Africa is found in Kenya. A farmer can often get 3,000 kg worth of passion fruit from one acre of land. This product costs roughly Kshs 180,000.
EXPORTING OF PASSION FRUITS IN KENYA
The majority of Africa’s passion fruit production comes from Kenya. Statistical data from the Ministry of Agriculture show that it shipped fruits worth a total of $14 million last year.
Although South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are some of the secondary export markets, it is still possible for Kenyan farmers to make money from their products in these regions. The primary export markets are Europe and Asia.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF PASSION FRUIT
• Delicious and high in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fibre is passion fruit. The fruit has roughly 97 calories per 100 grams.
• A great source of dietary fibre is fruit. The fruit pulp has 10.4 grams, or 27%, of fibre per 100 grams. A healthy fibre intake in the diet aids in the body’s removal of cholesterol. Being a good bulk laxative, it also aids in protecting the colon mucosa by reducing the amount of time that hazardous compounds are exposed to the colon and removing the toxic substances that cause cancer from the colon.
• A 100 g serving of passion fruit contains roughly 30 milligrams of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. Fruits high in vitamin C help the body fight against viral germs that resemble the flu and scavenge dangerous, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• The fruit contains high levels of antioxidants such as ß-carotene and cryptoxanthin-ß as well as vitamin A (1274 IU per 100 g). According to recent studies, these substances, together with vitamin A, are crucial for healthy vision since they have antioxidant capabilities. Additionally, necessary for keeping healthy mucosa and skin is vitamin A. Natural fruits high in vitamin A and flavonoids can help prevent malignancies of the mouth and lungs.
• The potassium content in fresh granadilla is very high. 348 mg of potassium are present in 100 g of fruit pulp. Potassium is an important mineral found in body fluids and cells that has a role in controlling blood pressure and heart rhythm.
• Granadilla is also a fantastic source of minerals. The amount of iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus in the fruit is adequate.