Fruit quality and production of yellow and sweet Passion fruits in northern state of São Paulo

Abstract

Abstract Yield and quality of yellow and sweet passion fruits produced in northern state of São Paulo, Brazil were evaluated, including FB200 Yellow Master, Isla Redondo Amarelo, BRS Rubi do Cerrado, BRS Sol do Cerrado and BRS Gigante Amerelo cultivars, GP09-02, GP09-03, H09- 09, H09-14, HFOP-08 and HFOP-09 intraspecific hybrids, and two selections of sweet passion fruits, BGP DG and BGP DP. Experimental design was comprised of randomized blocks with 13 treatments, five replicates and three plants per plot. BGP DG was the sweet passion fruit selected for fresh fruit market as a result of its higher yield (52.7 t ha-1) and fruit size and mass (243 g). Among yellow passion fruits, GP09-02 stood out because it showed the highest number of fruits per plant after two years of cultivation, even though GP09-02, H09-09, BRS Sol do Cerrado, Isla Redondo Amarelo and FB200 had also presented higher juice content, on average 32.3%, and equivalent accumulated fruit yield. All fruits had high soluble solids contents, with higher concentration for sweet passion fruits (20.0 °Brix) than yellow passion fruits (average of 14.28 °Brix). These cultivars, hybrids and selections have potential for cultivation in northern state of São Paulo and in regions with similar edaphoclimatic conditions.