Embrapa launches the first variety of passion fruit suitable for commercial cultivation in semi-arid areas

EMBRAPA, the Brazilian agrarian research agency, recently presented BRS Sert?o Forte, Passiflora cincinnata passion fruit cultivar, selected for the Caatinga area. Located in northeastern Brazil, its?conditions are semi-arid. It was selected among a number of wild fruit accesses collected in different areas of the Caatinga and compared to native plants, has higher productivity and larger fruits. Passiflora cincinnata has a higher?tolerance to stress by drought than Passiflora edulis, "passion fruit acid", the one which is usually cultivated. It also has a longer production cycle and it is more resistant to Fusarium, one of the most serious diseases of P. edulis. The fruits of BRS Hinterland Forte when they reach maturity are bright green and have a weight of between 109 and 212g. The pulp is very acidic, suitable for processing, whitish or light yellow, with 8 to 13 ? Brix. The yield of the paste reaches 50% when a rotary pulper is used and about 35% if it is manually extracted with a sieve. "This variety can be cultivated with a low technological cost and water limitation, therefore, it is very suitable for the agricultural areas?that depend on the rain and organic production, indicates the agronomist responsible for the selection of the cultivar, Francisco Pinheiro de Ara?jo , From Embrapa Semiarid. Source and more informationEmbrapa lan?a primeira variedade de maracuj? da Caatinga para cultivo comercial