Fruit Species Research Articles

Management of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Tunisian oases by mass trapping methods

In Tunisia oases, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata affect heavily fruit production. The efficiency of the mass trapping technique based on the use of Cera Trap® was evaluated in two types of oases in the south of Tunisia against C.capitata. Our results showed that in the traditional oasis (mixed orchard), the medfly moves from one fruit specie to another according to their receptivity periods. The population density of medflies started low and peaked three times (16 Jun, 23 Jun, and 7 July) corresponding to the maturation period of apricot fig and peach fruits. The field study showed that medfly population density and rate of fruit damage were significantly lower in figs than in peaches and apricot. Modern oases have later apricot fruit maturity periods than traditional oases, and their medfly populations peaked at 19 Mai. Ceratrap® reduces 2, 2, and 6 times the population density of Mediterranean fruit fly and the rate of damaged fruits compared to untreated plots. These two parameters were twofold less in modern oases than in traditional oases. These results suggest that the use of traps at the density of 70 per ha is sufficient to protect crops under high population densities of C. capitata characterizing the traditional oases agricultural systems.

Classification of jackfruit and cempedak using convolutional neural network and transfer learning

Jackfruit (Artocarpus integer) and Cempedak (Artocarpus heterophyllus) are two different Southeast Asian fruit species from the same genus that are quite similar in their external appearance, therefore, sometimes difficult to be recognized visually by humans, especially in the form of pictures. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) and transfer learning can provide an excellent solution to recognize fruits, where the methods are known to be able to classify objects with high accuracy. In this study, several models were proposed and constructed to recognize the Jackfruit and Cempedak using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). We proposed our custom-made own CNN model and modify five transfer learning models on pre-trained VGG16, VGG19, Xception, ResNet50, and InceptionV3. The experiment used our own dataset and the result showed that the proposed CNN architecture was able to provide an accuracy between 89% to 93.67% compared to the other CNN transfer learning.

Monitoring of stability evolution of micro filtered black plum nectar from Côte d'Ivoire during storage

Food industry and more specifically that of juices in Côte d'Ivoire, is gradually turning to local fruits. New products, sometimes derived from wild fruit species, are appearing on the market. The savannah plum tree (Vitex doniana) hitherto undervalued, is experiencing renewed interest due to its socio-economic importance for local populations. Its black plum fruit, rich in bioactive compounds, has been semi-industrially transformed into nectar. However, without the addition of preservatives, this nectar faces a probable reduced shelf life. The nectar used for this study was developed from fruits harvested in three (3) regions of northern Côte d'Ivoire. Monitoring of the evolution of biochemical parameters of this nectar, during storage, was carried out by conventional methods of biochemical analysis. At the end of this study, it appears that acidity and soluble dry extract of the nectar studied increases with rise in storage temperature. Vitamin C losses are reduced when the storage temperature is low. The more the shelf life of the nectar increases, the more it registers a drop in its nutritive value. To take full advantage of the benefits of this black plum nectar, it is best to store it at refrigeration temperature (4 °C) for a maximum of ten (10) weeks.

Valorization of wild fruits for human nutrition in demographic pressure challenges: Perception of fruit traders on plants species under anthropogenic threats

The present study aims to assess the perception of fruit traders on plant species under anthropogenic threats in natural ecosystems of southern Benin. To do this, a semi-structured survey was conducted among fruit traders in local markets of Tangbo-Djevié and Dantokpa (Southern Benin). From the results obtained, it appears that the fruit sales activity is exclusively female (100%) and the majority of women (84.74%) are between 31 and 60 years old. According to surveyed people, fruit trade activities are closely depended on the fruiting period of each fruit species. Fruits sold in these markets are commonly pineapple (Ananas comosus), avocado (Persea americana), banana (Musa acuminata), soursop (Anona muricata), lemon (Citrus limon), orange (Citrus sinensis), grapefruit (Citrus maxima), papaya (Carica papaya), chapokin (Ceiba pentandra), guava (Psidium guajava), cinnamon apple (Annona squamosa), star apple (Chrysophylum albidum), wild apple (Irvingia gabonensis), black tamarind (Dialium guineense) and watermelon (Citrullus nanatus). The fruits sold in these markets came mainly from four departments of southern Benin, such as Atlantique, Zou, Couffo and Borgou. The fruits mostly cited by surveyed people as to be under anthropogenic threats are chapokin (Ceiba pentandra), soursop (Anona muricata), guava (Psidium guajava), cinnamon apple (Annona squamosa), star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum), wild apple (Irvingia gabonensis), mombin plum (Spondias mombin) and black tamarind (Dialium guineense). This study therefore shows that particular attention should be given to this activity sector through the awareness of the nutritional opportunity that these wild fruits represent for the population and also the development of technological processes allowing their real industrial valorization

Statistical Approach to Assess Chill and Heat Requirements of Olive Tree Based on Flowering Date and Temperatures Data: Towards Selection of Adapted Cultivars to Global Warming

Delineating chilling and forcing periods is one of the challenging topics in understanding how temperatures drive the timing of budburst and bloom in fruit tree species. Here, we investigated this question on olive trees, using flowering data collected over six years on 331 cultivars in the worldwide collection of Marrakech, Morocco. Using a Partial Least Squares approach on a long-term phenology (29 years) of ‘Picholine Marocaine’ cultivar, we showed that the relevance of delineating the chilling and forcing periods depends more on the variability of inter-annual temperatures than on the long-term datasets. In fact, chilling and forcing periods are similar between those delineated by using datasets of 29 years and those of only 6 years (2014–2019). We demonstrated that the variability of inter-annual temperatures is the main factor explaining this pattern. We then used the datasets of six years to assess the chill and heat requirements of 285 cultivars. We classified Mediterranean olive cultivars into four groups according to their chill requirements. Our results, using the Kriging interpolation method, indicated that flowering dates of most of these cultivars (92%) were governed by both chilling and forcing temperatures. Our investigations provided first insights to select adapted cultivars to global warming.

Is Fopius arisanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) a suitable biological control agent of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in multi-crop orchards?

In the present study, we investigated the bottom-up effects of four economically important host fruit species (guava, mandarin orange, plum, pear) on Bactrocera dorsalis parasitoid Fopius arisanus in terms of emergence, parasitism, sex ratio, developmental duration, longevity and body size. Our results showed that F. arisanus reared on guava infested with B. dorsalis had highest emergence, parasitism, sex ratio and longevity, while these parameters were lower on B. dorsalis-infested mandarin orange. Moreover, body size of F. arisanus (wing, hind tibia and body lengths for both sexes and ovipositor length for female) varied significantly among the B. dorsalis-infested fruits, with mandarin orange providing the biggest emergent body size for both sexes and guava providing the smallest. The shortest preimaginal developmental time for both sexes was in infested plums and the longest in infested mandarin orange. Therefore, we inferred that B. dorsalis-infested guava is the most suitable host–host plant combination for F. arisanus fitness among the tested fruit-host combinations. Our findings corroborates that the ability of some tested fruit species to serve for the permanent establishment of F. arisanus in the field, which will aid in boosting the efficiency of F. arisanus as a biological control agent, especially in multi-crop orchards.

Small but Nice–Seed Dispersal by Tamarins Compared to Large Neotropical Primates

Tamarins, small Neotropical primates of the genera Saguinus and Leontocebus, have a mainly frugivorous-faunivorous diet. While consuming the pulp of a high diversity of fruit species, they also swallow seeds and void them intact, thus acting as seed dispersers. Here we compare different aspects of the seed dispersal ecology of tamarins with that of large Neotropical primates from the genera Ateles (spider monkeys) and Lagothrix (woolly monkeys). Due to their small body size, tamarins disperse seeds of a smaller size range, fewer seeds per defecation, and seeds from a smaller number of different plant species per defecation compared to these atelines. We discuss whether tamarin seed dispersal is redundant or complementary to seed dispersal by atelines. On the level of plant species, our comparisons suggest that redundancy or complementarity depends on the plant species concerned. On the habitat level, seed dispersal by tamarins and large New World primates is probably complementary. Particularly, since tamarins are capable of persisting in disturbed forests and near human settlements, they are more likely to contribute to the natural regeneration of such areas than larger primates.

In Vitro Conservation through Slow Growth Storage Technique of Fruit Species: An Overview of the Last 10 Years

Plant genetic resources conservation may be a potential option for the improvement of agricultural crops through modern biotechnologies, and in vitro conservation is a tool available to safeguard plant biodiversity. Ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources using the in vitro procedures is in progress in many countries. The slow growth storage (SGS) technique is a valid in vitro approach to preserve several vegetatively propagated species by controlling the growth and development of plantlets, economizing storage space and labor and reducing costs. Moreover, SGS prolongs the timing between subcultures, lowers the risk of losing germplasm through handling errors, such as contamination problems, and decreases the risk of genetic instability due to the reduction in the number of subcultures. SGS is applied by considering different factors: temperature, light or darkness conditions, medium composition, including mineral or sucrose concentrations, and the presence/absence of plant growth regulators, osmotic agents and growth inhibitors. SGS protocols for some fruit species have been well defined, others require additional research. The present review focuses on the effect of several factors that influence the SGS of in vitro shoots derived from temperate and tropical fruit species during the last ten years.

A quantitative assessment of factors affecting the rooting of grapevine rootstocks (Vitis vinifera L.)

Grapevine is a fruit species of great agronomic interest since both fresh fruit and wine are highly marketable products. Therefore, there is growing interest in this crop among researchers in the pursuit of increased yields and better cultivation conditions. Asexual propagation is the most commonly used method for propagating grapevine seedlings, with cuttings used for rootstock formation and subsequent grafting of materials to form the canopy. The rootstock is responsible for support, water, and nutrient uptake, thus determining the vigor of the plant; therefore, it is essential to understand the suitable conditions in which roots can thrive and thereby enhance plant growth. The type of cutting, type of substrate, and application of exogenous auxins are among the factors that interfere with the rooting of grapevine rootstocks, and determining and implementing the best combination of these factors could provide for more vigorous plants. Reviewing high-quality published scientific research from diverse countries is a method of identifying data, grouping information, and obtaining reliable answers. Furthermore, it can allow for the detection and grouping of the main factors affecting the rooting of grapevine cuttings, thus enabling a clearer recommendation and better understanding of the issue.

Influence of deficit irrigation and warming on plant water status during the late winter and spring in young olive trees

Changes in rainfall patterns and increases in ambient air temperature (i.e., warming) are expected with climate change. Yet, little information is available on how plant water status will respond to the combination of water deficit and increased air temperature in fruit tree species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the individual responses of deficit irrigation and warming and their combination on plant water status during the late winter and spring in young olive trees. Two temperature and two irrigation levels were applied in open top chambers during the late winter and spring of 2018 and 2019 to two- or three-year-old, potted trees (cv. Arbequina in 2018; Coratina in 2019). The temperature levels were a near-ambient control and a warming treatment that was 4 °C above the control, while the two irrigation levels were 100% and 50% of irrigation needs. Midday stem water potential (Ψs), stomatal conductance, net leaf photosynthesis, transpiration, and leaf temperature were measured periodically, and the difference between leaf and air temperature (ΔT) was calculated. The Ψs generally decreased due to irrigation deficit and warming when applied individually. When both treatments were combined, an additive response was observed. In contrast, stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis were consistently decreased by deficit irrigation, but were less affected by warming. Irrigation deficit did not affect leaf temperature under our experimental conditions. As was expected, warming most often increased leaf temperature, but it also significantly decreased ΔT early in the season when leaf transpiration appeared to be greater due to warming. The results indicate that modifications in water management with global warming will likely be required given the mostly negative individual or additive effects of irrigation deficit and air temperature on Ψs and other variables.

Red rust disease occurring in some fruits species in Cameroon

The knowledge of the red rust disease remains limited in Cameroon, with a view to developing a control method. This work consisted in studying red rust on some fruit species such as Annona muricata (soursop), Dacryodes edulis (safou), Psidium guajava (guava) and Theobroma cacao (cocoa).
 Diseased leaves were collected in the field in the Maham site, in west region of Cameroon.The symptomatology of disease (colour, number and diameter of lesions) was studied. Coefficient of variation ( %) was calculated. The incidence and severity of the disease was assessed in the different orchards surveyed. The measurement of the different structures of the thallus (length, width of sporangia and sporangiophores) was carried out using a microscope with a micrometer.
 The disease is characterized by circular orange to orange-brown spots on the upper surfaces and rarely on the lower surface. Number of lesions, varied from 245–510 respectively with D. edulis and T cacao. Lesion diameters varied from 0.1−1 cm, 0.1−7 cm, 0.1−1.5 cm in safou (African pear), guava and soursop respectively. The length and width of sporangiophores varied from 280.5−714×10.2−25.5 µm for A. muricata, 408−612×15.3−25.5 µm for Dacryodes edulis, 433.3−663×15.3−20.4 µm for P. guajava and 484.5−612×20.4−35.7 µm for T. cacao. The number of sporangiophores varied from 1 to 11 at the maximum threshold. But, number of sporangia was the same in the four species, 1−9. The pathogenicity test was negative.
 The data measurements show that the specie observed is Cephaleurus virescens which is a parasitic alga.
 The data obtained are a basis for the development of an integrated control strategy against this emerging disease

Anther Culture-Derived Haploids of Citrus aurantium L. (Sour Orange) and Genetic Verification of Haploid-Derived Regenerated Plants.

Citrus plants are important fruit tree species; however, the breeding of high-quality varieties of citrus species is a time-consuming process. Using haploid-derived plants from anther culture may reduce the time required for obtaining purebred lines. This study aimed to genetically verify whether anther culture-derived sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) plants developed from somatic embryos or haploid tissues. Sour orange anthers were cultured in N6 and MS media to induce calli and somatic embryos. N6 liquid medium supplemented with 1 mg·L-1 gibberellic acid and 200 µM spermidine resulted in a 10% increase in callus and embryo induction rates. Regenerated plants were validated using simple sequence repeat markers. Out of the 109 regenerated plants, ploidy analysis identified 99 diploids, two haploids, and eight putative aneuploids; out of the 99 diploid plants, 33 were haploid-derived homozygous diploids. The chromosomal analysis confirmed most plants as diploids, whereas some were identified as aneuploids (19-21 chromosomes). Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the resultant homozygous or heterozygous plants were haploid-derived. This is the first report of haploid-derived homozygous diploid and aneuploid sour orange plants obtained through anther culture. Moreover, the anther cultivation technique described herein can be applied to other citrus varieties.

Fossil Fruits of Ceratophyllum from the Upper Eocene and Miocene of South China.

Ceratophyllum L. is a cosmopolitan genus of perennial aquatic herbs that occur in quiet freshwaters. Fossils of this genus have been widely reported from the Northern Hemisphere, most of them occurring in the temperate zone. Here, we describe two species of fossil fruits discovered from subtropical areas of China. The fossil fruit discovered from the upper Eocene Huangniuling Formation of the Maoming Basin is designated as C. cf. muricatum Chamisso, and fruits discovered from the Miocene Erzitang Formation of the Guiping Basin are assigned to the extant species C. demersum L. The discovery of these two fossil species indicates that Ceratophyllum had spread to South China by the late Eocene and their distribution expanded in subtropical China during the Miocene.

Phenotypically abnormal cotyledonary Vitis vinifera embryos differ in anatomy, endogenous hormone levels and transcriptome profiles.

In many perennial fruit species, including grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), the highly complex process of somatic embryogenesis (SE) can result in the formation of a deformed embryo, although the underlying reasons are still poorly understood. Here, V. vinifera cv. 'Chardonnay' cotyledonary embryos with distinct morphologies were used to address this issue. Normal cotyledonary embryos (NCEs) and elongated cotyledonary embryos (ECEs) were observed to have better-developed vasculature and shoot meristems than the vitrified cotyledonary embryos (VCEs) and fused cotyledonary embryos (FCEs), but ECEs were less developed. We determined that the morphological differences in these phenotypically abnormal embryos were likely associated with endogenous hormone levels, since concentrations of the phytohormones indoleacetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in NCEs were higher than in the other three types. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed large differences in gene expression of the hormone signaling pathways in normal and abnormal cotyledonary embryos. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of the different cotyledonary types allowed the identification of co-regulated gene modules associated with SE, suggesting a role for ERF family genes and other transcription factors (TFs) in regulating morphology. Moreover, an analysis of morphology-specific gene expression indicated that the activation of a specific protein kinase, small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) and certain TFs was closely associated with the formation of normal cotyledonary embryos. Our comparative analyses provide insights into the gene networks regulating somatic cotyledon development and open new avenues for research into plant regeneration and functional genomic studies of malformed embryos.

Reproductive Phenology of Mangifera indica L. and Persea americana Mill in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo)

Mangifera indica L. and Persea americana Mill are two species of fruit trees for food use. In Brazzaville, they seem to be the most representative and cover the whole city. The phenological study of these two species was carried out throughout the city of Brazzaville. The objective of the study is to improve the phenological knowledge of these species. The methods used are based on field surveys. The selected, marked and geolocated trees are monitored by the observation method for two years. The various results obtained show that flowering in Mangifera indica L. appears early in January. It evolves progressively and becomes visible in all sites during the dry season, between June and July, then decreases in August. The peak of flowering is observed in July with 100% of plants recorded. Fruiting starts in March, progresses gradually in terms of number of trees and reaches its peak between August and September with 80% of trees recorded. However, in Persea americana Mill, flowering starts early in March and progresses over time until it reaches its peak between July and August with 80% of trees recorded. Fruiting is observed from August onwards and lasts until December, January and February, during the rainy season. The evolution of these different phenophases shows phenological characteristics common to these trees, marked by phenological asynchrony, variation and interaction. These results highlight the effect of the seasons on the phenological evolution of the species studied.

Genetic associations with resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii in guava (Psidium sp.) using cross-genera SNPs and comparative genomics to Eucalyptus highlight evolutionary conservation across the Myrtaceae.

Tropical fruit tree species constitute a yet untapped supply of outstanding diversity of taste and nutritional value, barely developed from the genetics standpoint, with scarce or no genomic resources to tackle the challenges arising in modern breeding practice. We generated a de novo genome assembly of the Psidium guajava, the super fruit "apple of the tropics", and successfully transferred 14,268 SNP probesets from Eucalyptus to Psidium at the nucleotide level, to detect genomic loci linked to resistance to the root knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne enterolobii derived from the wild relative P. guineense. Significantly associated loci with resistance across alternative analytical frameworks, were detected at two SNPs on chromosome 3 in a pseudo-assembly of Psidium guajava genome built using a syntenic path approach with the Eucalyptus grandis genome to determine the order and orientation of the contigs. The P. guineense-derived resistance response to RKN and disease onset is conceivably triggered by mineral nutrients and phytohormone homeostasis or signaling with the involvement of the miRNA pathway. Hotspots of mapped resistance quantitative trait loci and functional annotation in the same genomic region of Eucalyptus provide further indirect support to our results, highlighting the evolutionary conservation of genomes across genera of Myrtaceae in the adaptation to pathogens. Marker assisted introgression of the resistance loci mapped should accelerate the development of improved guava cultivars and hybrid rootstocks.

Symptomatology associated with “Purple top”, an emerging disease of solanaceous fruit species

“Purple top” is an emerging disease that affects solanaceous crops, reported mainly on Solanum tuberosum (potato). Additionally, Bactericera cockerelli has been reported as the insect vector of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CaLso), a pathogen that has been associated with this disease. However, the information about this disease in Andean fruit species such as Solanum betaceum (tree tomato), S. quitoense (naranjilla) and Physalis peruviana (cape gooseberry) is almost nil. This study was carried out in the Tumbaco Experimental Farm of INIAP to describe the phenotypic symptoms caused by this disease. Molecular diagnosis by PCR method was carried out to diagnose the causal agent associated with the symptomatology. The main symptoms observed were purple color leaves, smaller apical leaves, inward curvature edge leaves, over-sprouting, yellowish and stopped plant growth; however there also were asymptomatic plants. P. peruviana was the most susceptible species because showed 100% of incidence. CaLso was identified as the causal agent associated with this disease. These results contribute to understanding the expression of this disease in Andean fruit crops. However, more studies related to epidemiology, diagnostic methods, mixed infections, vector-pathogen interaction and disease control are required in order to generate information that allows a complete knowledge of this pest.

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), a fruit species that is struggling to spread, but some initiatives in Italy are promising

Jujube (<i>Ziziphus jujuba</i> Mill.), a fruit species that is struggling to spread, but some initiatives in Italy are promising

Global transcriptome dissection of pollen-pistil interactions induced self-incompatibility in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.).

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a major issue in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) breeding and production. Therefore, a better understanding of the dragon fruit SI mechanism is needed to improve breeding efficiency and ultimate production costs. To reveal the underlying mechanisms of SI in dragon fruit, plant anatomy, de novo RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis, and multiple bioinformatic approaches were used to analyze gene expression in the pistils of the self-pollinated and cross-pollinated dragon fruit flowers at different intervals of time after pollination. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed that the pollen of 'Hongshuijing', a self-incompatible dragon fruit variety (S. monacanthus), germinated on its own stigma. However, the pollen tube elongation has ceased at 1/2 of the style, confirming that dragon fruit experiences gametophyte self-incompatibility (GSI). We found that the pollen tube elongation in vitro was inhibited by self-style glycoproteins in the SI variety, indicating that glycoproteins were involved in SI. That is to say the female S factor should be homologous of S-RNase or PrsS (P. rhoeas stigma S factor), both of which are glycoproteins and are the female S factors of the two known GSI mechanism respectively. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that among the 43,954 assembled unigenes from pistil, there were six S-RNase genes, while 158 F-box genes were identified from a pollen transcriptomic dataset. There were no P. rhoeas type S genes discovered. Thus, the identified S-RNase and F-box represent the candidate female and male S genes, respectively. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the self and cross-pollinated pistils at different time intervals led to the identification of 6,353 genes. We then used a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to find some non-S locus genes in SI responses in dragon fruit. Additionally, 13 transcription factors (TFs) (YABBY4, ANL2, ERF43, ARF2, BLH7, KNAT6, PIF3, two OBF1, two HY5 and two LHY/CCA) were identified to be involved in dragon fruit GSI. Thus, we uncovered candidate S and non-S genes and predicted more SI-related genes for a more detailed investigation of the molecular mechanism of dragon fruit SI. Our findings suggest that dragon fruit possesses a GSI system and involves some unique regulators. This study lays the groundwork for future research into SI mechanisms in dragon fruit and other plant species.

Sustainable organic substrate production using millicompost in combination with different plant residues for the cultivation of Passiflora edulis seedlings

The use of sustainable organic substrates of recognized quality is essential in the production of seedlings of fruit species. In this context, the present study aimed to formulate different sustainable organic substrates based on millicompost combined with different proportions of locally available organic waste, such as coconut fiber ( Cocos nucifera ) powder, gliricidia ( Gliricidia sepium) and elephant grass shavings ( Pennisetum purpureum) for the production of Passiflora edulis seedlings. The organic substrates used were as follows: S1- millicompost; S2- commercial substrate and substrates formulated based on millicompost: S3%–25% millicompost + 25% gliricidia + 25% elephant grass + 25% coconut fiber; S4%–50% millicompost+ 50% elephant grass; (S5) 50% millicompost+ 50% gliricidia; (S6) 50% millicompost+ 50% coconut fiber. At 56 days of sowing, the following morphological parameters were evaluated: shoot dry mass (SDM); root dry mass (RDM); plant height (PH); number of leaves (NL); stalk diameter (SD); root volume (RV); leaf area in cm 2 (LA); seedling vigor (SV) and clod stability (CS). The nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) accumulated in the shoot dry mass of the seedlings were determined after this period. The organic substrates that provided seedlings with significantly higher parameters (P <0.05) of SDM, RDM, PH, NL, SD, RV, LA, SV and CS were as follows: S1> S6> S5. The other substrates (S2, S3 and S4) presented seedlings with morphological parameters similar to each other. In addition, there was a greater accumulation of P, K Ca and Mg (P <0.05) in the shoot dry mass of the seedlings developed on the substrates S1> S6> S5. The substrates S6 and S5 represent two new options of sustainable substrates, being effective in the production of yellow passion fruit seedlings with excellent vegetative growth rates. • Millipedes are able to transform agricultural and urban waste into organic compost. • The use of millicompost in the cultivation of Passiflora edulis seedlings was evaluated for the first time. • The millicompost is efficient and has produced healthy and vigorous seedlings. • Organic substrates based on millicompost with powdered coconut fiber or gliricidia are efficient. • New organic substrate options for passion fruit seedling producers are available.