Ecuador’s National Institute of Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIAP) is evaluating the possibilities of sweet yellow passionfruit cultivation in the province of Morona Santiago.

The work underway at INIAP's experimental farm in the Palora area aims to test the viability of this non-native fruit. Agronomist Paúl Gómez said it had been crossed using passionfruit pollen from the Ecuadorian coast.

"This fruit was at the Tumbaco Experimental Farm in Quito. We brought it here because we saw that the fruit was not adapting there. We brought it because our climate and conditions made it apt for evaluation," Gómez told www.freshfruitportal.com.

The experiment is specifically studying fertilization, handling, staking and sustainable agroforestry systems in relation to the crop, as well as its phenology.

Although its handling is very similar to the commercial varieties of passionfruit planted in Ecuador, this fruit reaches a high brix grade of 21.83°, with citric acid content of 1.52 and a Vitamin C level of  6.1 mg/100mm.

"It has a diameter of 77.86 millimeters that makes its 20% larger than the traditional Ecuadorian passionfruit," he said, adding that the fruit had a fairly thick rind, giving it a lot less pulp.

In addition to the fruit's physical qualities, Gómez said it had also shown resistance to certain diseases. Even though Fusiarium oxysporum wilt is in the area, no plants have been found to be attacked to date.

"There is also no canker. We could say that it is resistant, it’s tolerant."

While material has not yet be propagated among growers and has not been launched by INIAP, it is available in the city.

"People have bought it because it is an exotic fruit than hasn’t been seen anywhere else. A lot of people like it; they want it in their homes and on their land, so they ask us for plants."

Tests have shown an output per plant between 8-15km, The fruit possesses two harvesting cycles, firstly between June and July and later between November and December.

www.freshfruitportal.com