Pollination, fruit set and yield of hybrid passion fruits

Abstract

Passion fruits are increasingly gaining importance as fruit crops in Uganda. But yield greatly depends on numbers of flowers produced, fruit set and final numbers that survive to maturity. The above characteristics were studied on Passiflora edulis f. edulis and P. edulis f. flavicarpa Kawanda hybrid. The close genetic composition of some of the hybrids to one parent or the other was observed. Receptivity of the stigma, plant compatibility, pollen wetting and the number of pollen grains deposited on the stigma affected pollination levels.