ISHS Acta Horticulturae 218: XII African Symposium on Horticultural Crops
EFFECT OF ROW SPACING OF PURPLE PASSION FRUIT (PASSIFLORA EDULISFORMA EDULIS SIMS) ON FRUIT YIELD IN KENYA |
| Authors: | S.P. Gachanja, P.O. Ochieng |
| Abstract:
Yields of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis forma edulis, Sims) were compared in a row spacing experiment at 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3 and 3.6 m at the Nyanza Agricultural Research Station, Kisii. Uniform plant spacing three meters between the vines in the row was used. Treatment 1.8 m × 3 m is currently the recommended spacing for the small scale farmers. The total and marketable (processing) fruit yields increased with reduced spacing between the rows. Cultural operations (spraying, weeding, pruning) were observed to be almost impracticable as the spacing narrowed. Similarly, there were higher incidences of fungal diseases (brown spot, leaf spot) as the rows became narrower. Since about 50% of the accumulated yields are obtained during the first year of cropping (9 – 15 months after transplanting) narrower spacing may be recommended to small scale farmers provided replanting is done after that period when the vines show decline of fruit production. | |
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