Farmers in Brazil's Planaltina region have produced passion  fruit that are four times the standard size, website Revistagloborural.globo.com reported.

The 800-gram fruit is a hybrid created in a program initiated in 2008 by Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (EMBRAPA) entity EMBRAPA Cerrados, under the direction of José dos Reis Landim, the story reported.

Landium grows the large passion fruit over 3.5 hectares of his property and this year recorded a yield of 72 metric tons (MT) per hectare for the fruit, the story reported.

EMBRAPA Cerrados researcher Nilton Junqueira told the website the producer needed to pay attention to the soil, phytosanitary controls and irrigation, as well as manual pollination and pruning.

Junqueira added it was also recommended to plant three varieties of fruit as it was necessary to diversify the pollen.

Planaltina is in Brazil's Federal District.

Related story: Disease hits Brazilian passion fruit crops

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