Passion fruit is among the most competitive fruits in Kenya with a great economic importance. Sweet yellow passion fruit is newly released in Kenya by KARI. Sweet yellow passion fruit has high demand from the juice makers as it yields more juice than the purple passion fruit.There are two main types of passion fruits; yellow and purple.
The purple variety:- The Purple does well in midlands in addition to highlands 1500m to about 2200m above sea level. This variety is the one that has been dominantly grown in Kenya, in areas such as Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, Embu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu and Nandi among other highland regions.
The Yellow variety:- The yellow variety has sour and sweet varieties. It is mostly suited for low lands
and has been mainly grown at the coastal region. It does also thrive in mid altitudes of up to 1500 above sea level; the reason why we are witnessing its increased presence in semi-arid regions of Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nthi and Kirinyaga counties among others.
Sweet Yellow Passion Farming in Kenya – Strengths of the sweet Yellow Variety over the Purple Variety
The strength of yellow passion is that it is more tolerant to the most critical disease reducing passion fruitproductivity: Fusarium wilt. This disease is soil borne and affects the root system of vines killing them. It is alsoresistant to woodiness virus and Brown spot diseases. These diseases reduce purple passion yields greatly as well asdrop its life expectancy from an average of 6 years to 2 years.
Sweet Yellow Passon Farming in Kenya – Reasons for Coming up with the Sweet Yellow Passion
Vulnerability of purple passion to diseases and its resultant loss of Kenya’s considerable chunk of markets in theEuropean Union and Middle East impelled KARI between 1996 and 1997 with the support of USAID and World Bank to swinginto action coming up with new Sweet Yellow Passion varieties.
The need of coming up with passion fruit that was drought resistant and acceptable in both the fresh and processingmarkets based on size, juiciness and sweetness.
Yellow passion farming in Kenya – Sweet Yellow Passion Varieties
The sweet yellow passion varieties are a combination of traits of the sour and purplepassion. These varieties include:- KPF4, KPF11 and KPF12. There is greater preference for KPF4 as its yields are of very high quality.
Yellow passion farming in Kenya – KARI and Partners
To ensure the varieties benefit farmers, KARI has partnered with TechnoServe to establisha mother block for seed extraction and nurseries. All work done in the mother block and nurseries such asgrafting; happen in a greenhouse with an insect proof net. Insects can carry in diseases such as
woodiness virus. Another function of the mother block is conserving germplasm for facilitating
continuous research
KARI is also working with KEPHIS and HCDA together with other development partners to recruit as many aspossible private and community sweet yellow passion nurseries so as to bring the vines closer
to farmers. Through this plan, nurseries have been established in Meru, Embu, Mbeere and Murang’a.
Sweet Yellow Passion Farming in Kenya – Plant Care
When pruning farmers should maintain a good balance between vegetative and floral growth. If a farmer
over prunes, the passion fruit main shoot on the trellis wire is exposed to burning and this can
lead to Die back. On the other hand, bushy vines create a macro-climate for thriving of thrips, mites as
well as fungi that lead to Brown spot contraction. In addition to minimizing spray coverage.