Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of stem repair grafting on the recovery of damaged plants, yield and quality of yellow passion fruits in organic system. The experiment was conducted simulating five stem damages (treatments) in randomized complete block design with four replications of four plants each. After reaching on average 7.3 ± 1.2 mm in stem diameter, plants were perforated at 20, 40, 60 and 80% of the stem diameter with the aid of a steel drill. The reduction in plant stand treatment with 80 % damage reduces plant productivity. Then, bridge-type grafting was performed by connecting the top and bottom of the injury. The grafting success percentage ranged from 81.3 to 95.8% and did not differ between treatments, but the survival rate of plants was lower in treatments with 40 and 80% of injuries. There were no statistically significant differences between treatments for the following variables: number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA) and (TSS/TTA) ratio. Recovery stem grafting allows injured plants to maintain the same productivity by up to 60% compared to plants without injuries.
Highlights
Passion fruit is among the main commercial fruits, which activity is growing in Brazil, with average yield of 13.4 t ha-1 (IBGE, 2012), but production does not meet the internal demands of the consumer market and is below the crop potential, which can reach 50 t ha-1 (RONCATTO et al, 2011a)
This pest reduces the productivity of passion fruits by partially blocking the transport of sap through the stem that culminates with cellular hypertrophy, fruit fall and severe attack, wilting and drying of branches (FANCELLI and LIMA, 2004), reduction of fruit mass and number (FADINI; SANTA-CECÍLIA, 2000)
There was no significant difference between treatments for the grafting success percentage, which ranged from 81.3% in plants with 40% damage to 95.8% in those with 20% damage (Table 1), indicating that the species adapts well to the bridgetype restoration grafting technique, with graft healing (Figure 1)
Summary
Passion fruit is among the main commercial fruits, which activity is growing in Brazil, with average yield of 13.4 t ha-1 (IBGE, 2012), but production does not meet the internal demands of the consumer market and is below the crop potential, which can reach 50 t ha-1 (RONCATTO et al, 2011a).Among the main factors that compromise crop productivity are phytosanitary problems. Passion fruit stalk borer (Philonis passiflorae OBrien Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is listed among the main crop pests, which has been reported in several producing states, with outbreaks caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides that caused biological imbalance (FANCELLI, LIMA, 2004). This pest reduces the productivity of passion fruits by partially blocking the transport of sap through the stem that culminates with cellular hypertrophy, fruit fall and severe attack, wilting and drying of branches (FANCELLI and LIMA, 2004), reduction of fruit mass and number (FADINI; SANTA-CECÍLIA, 2000). Severe attack on the main stem can lead to plant death, increasing crop damage
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