Abstract
ABSTRACT: The passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) is a perennial and drought resistant species that represents a new alternative crop for small farmers in rainfed conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the vegetative and physiological development of passion fruit plants derived from two propagation methods and grown at varied planting spacing. The experiment was conducted from January to June of 2012, in the Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (State University from Southwestern Bahia), in Brazil. It was carried out in a randomized block design under a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, which consisted of two propagation methods (cutting and seeds) and three planting spacing distances within a row (1.5; 3.0 and 4.0 m), however, at same distance between rows (3.0 m), with four replicates and four plants per plot. Cuttings and seeds were sampled from adult plants pre-selected in native areas from Vitória da Conquista - BA, Brazil. Growth (stem diameter and leaf area) and physiological parameters (leaf chlorophyll content, leaf water potential before dawn, relative water content and leaf gas exchange) were assessed on the 90th, 120th and 150th day after transplanting of seedlings into the field (DAT). Based on our results, we concluded that despite plants propagated via cuttings showed most favorable water status, vegetative growth and photosynthetic capacity were lower whether compared to plants obtained from seeds.
Highlights
Crato passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) has great importance as a genetic resource, owning a great production potential because of its adaption under semiarid weather conditions in Northeastern Brazil, besides its fruit nutritional characteristics (SANTOS et al, 2012a).According to Queiroz (2011), P. cincinnata has two main uses, one as a source of pathogen-resistance for same-genus species grown in irrigated fields, and another in farming for fruit production aside from ornamental or medicinal purposes, among which superior types can be grown under rainfed conditions.According to Araújo (2007), P. cincinnata has market potential for being unique due to its distinctive flavor when compared to yellow passion fruit (P. edulis Deg.)
At 90 (April / 2012), 120 (May / 2012) and 150 (June / 2012) days after transplanting the seedlings to the field (DAT), we evaluated stem diameter (SD), leaf area (LA), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD), leaf water potential (Ψw), relative water content (RWC)
There was no effect of propagation methods, planting spacing on SPAD index and T
Summary
Crato passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) has great importance as a genetic resource, owning a great production potential because of its adaption under semiarid weather conditions in Northeastern Brazil, besides its fruit nutritional characteristics (SANTOS et al, 2012a).According to Queiroz (2011), P. cincinnata has two main uses, one as a source of pathogen-resistance for same-genus species grown in irrigated fields, and another in farming for fruit production aside from ornamental or medicinal purposes, among which superior types can be grown under rainfed conditions.According to Araújo (2007), P. cincinnata has market potential for being unique due to its distinctive flavor when compared to yellow passion fruit (P. edulis Deg.). Cutting is one of the vegetative propagation techniques used in passion fruit plants which contributes to uniform orchards, besides mitigating, in a short-term, pathogen symptoms (VAZ et al, 2009) as well as reducing crop earliness (LIRA JÚNIOR, 2012). This technique is absent of genetic segregation, which is drawback to passionfruit farming according to Rezende et al (2005), since high rates of self-incompatibility require maintenance of genetic variability. Because of such limiting factor, passiflora propagation should be carried via seeds, once this type of reproduction would decrease viral infections (CORREA et al., 2010) and promote a less complex and low-cost seedling production
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