Organic yellow passion fruit productivity due to irrigation, semi protected cultivation and artificial pollination

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the combination between irrigation, semiprotected cultivation, and artificial pollination on the yield, number of fruits, and mass of yellow passion fruit grown under organic production. The experimental design was in randomized blocks set up in split plots (2x2x2) with eight treatments and four replications. The plot consisted of irrigation or rainfed conditions, the second factor corresponds to plant cover with plastic or direct sunlight, and the third factor refers to natural or artificial pollination. Irrigation was performed using a micro-sprinkler system, and pollination was either manual or natural (entomophilous). The evaluated parameters were the number of fruits per plant, the mean fruit mass, and the total and commercial yields in two crop years: from January to August 2019 and from September 2019 to August 2020. The yield per hectare and the number of fruits per plant were not affected by irrigation and semi-protected cultivation. Artificial pollination increased the passion fruit yield by up to 31% under organic cultivation. The number of fruits per plant did not significantly change with the treatments. However, there was a positive linear correction with the yield. The mean fruit mass is higher using the combination between semi-protected cultivation, rainfed conditions, and artificial pollination or direct sunlight with natural pollination regardless of irrigation.