Morphological and Agronomic Variability among Cultivars, Landraces, and Genebank Accessions of Purple Passion Fruit, Passiflora edulis f. edulis

Global demand for juice of the purple passion fruit, Passiflora edulis f. edulis, is growing, making it a promising species for farmers to grow in the highland tropics, to which it is adapted. However, research centers and private companies have done little to produce new high-yielding varieties. The objective of the present study, therefore, was to evaluate the agronomic and morphological characteristics of 50 passion fruit genotypes across two different elevations and agro-ecological sites as a base for germplasm enhancement. Three groups of genotypes were commercial cultivars (8 genotypes), genebank accessions (8), and landraces (34) collected from throughout the highlands of Colombia. The locations were at 1800 m above sea level (masl) (Pasca), in a place where cultivation of passion fruits is common; and at 2500 masl (Susacón), at a higher elevation site compared with most commercial plantings equal to a new agroecology for cultivation of the crop. Results indicated that the mid-elevation site produced higher yields (kg fruit/plant) than the high elevation site, although some landraces were highly productive there. Commercial cultivar and genebank accessions clustered together in a principal component analysis (PCA); while landraces showed high levels of variation in the trait descriptors with five different clusters. Therefore, landraces of purple passion fruit contained greater genetic diversity than commercial cultivars or the genebank, and breeding programs for the crop should use landraces to increase diversity of varieties available to producers and to further expand the crop to new regions, at higher elevations, or with different agro-ecologies.

Download Full-text

Genetic Diversity of Purple Passion Fruit, Passiflora edulis f. edulis, Based on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers Discovered through Genotyping by Sequencing

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13040144 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 144

Author(s):

Nohra Castillo Rodríguez ◽

Xingbo Wu ◽

María Isabel Chacón ◽

Luz Marina Melgarejo ◽

Matthew Wohlgemuth Blair

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽

Genotyping By Sequencing ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Passiflora Edulis ◽

Tropical Fruit ◽

Commercial Cultivars ◽

Purple Passion Fruit

Orphan crops, which include many of the tropical fruit species used in the juice industry, lack genomic resources and breeding efforts. Typical of this dilemma is the lack of commercial cultivars of purple passion fruit, Passiflora edulis f. edulis, and of information on the genetic resources of its substantial semiwild gene pool. In this study, we develop single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for the species and show that the genetic diversity of this fruit crop has been reduced because of selection for cultivated genotypes compared to the semiwild landraces in its center of diversity. A specific objective of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity of cultivars, genebank accession, and landraces through genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and to conduct molecular evaluation of a broad collection for the species P. edulis from a source country, Colombia. We included control genotypes of yellow passion fruit, P. edulis f. flavicarpa. The goal was to evaluate differences between fruit types and compare landraces and genebank accessions from in situ accessions collected from farmers. In total, 3820 SNPs were identified as informative for this diversity study. However, the majority distinguished yellow and purple passion fruit, with 966 SNPs useful in purple passion fruits alone. In the population structure analysis, purple passion fruits were very distinct from the yellow ones. The results for purple passion fruits alone showed reduced diversity for the commercial cultivars while highlighting the higher diversity found among landraces from wild or semi-wild conditions. These landraces had higher heterozygosity, polymorphism, and overall genetic diversity. The implications for genetics and breeding as well as evolution and ecology of purple passion fruits based on the extant landrace diversity are discussed with consideration of manual or pollinator-assisted hybridization of this species.

Download Full-text

Purple Passion Fruit, Passiflora edulis Sims f. edulis, Variability for Photosynthetic and Physiological Adaptation in Contrasting Environments

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9050231 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 231 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nohra C. Rodríguez ◽

Luz M. Melgarejo ◽

Matthew W. Blair

Keyword(s):

Water Status ◽

High Elevation ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Physiological Adaptation ◽

Apparent Quantum Yield ◽

Important Conclusion ◽

Passiflora Edulis ◽

Chlorophylls A And B ◽

Passiflora Edulis Sims ◽

Purple Passion Fruit

Purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. edulis) is a tropical juice source. The goal of this project was to evaluate photosynthetic and physiological variability for the crop with the hypotheses that landraces contain the diversity to adapt to higher elevation nontraditional growing environments and this is dependent on specific parameters of ecological adaptation. A total of 50 genotypes of this crop were chosen from divergent sources for evaluations of their eco-physiological responses in two equatorial locations at different altitudes in the Andes Mountains, a center of diversity for the species. The germplasm included 34 landraces, 8 commercial cultivars, and 8 genebank accessions. The two locations were contrasting in climates, representing mid and high elevations in Colombia. Mid-elevation valleys are typical regions of production for passion fruit while high elevation sites are not traditional. The location effects and variables that differentiated genotypes were determined. Results showed statistically significant differences between locations and importance of physiological parameters related to photosynthesis and water use efficiency. Some landraces exhibited better water status and gas exchange than commercial types. Parameters like maximum photosynthesis, points of light saturation and compensation, darkness respiratory rate, and apparent quantum yield varied between genotype groups. The landraces, commercial types, and genebank entries also differed in content of carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b. Meanwhile, photosynthesis measurements showed that altitudinal difference had an effect on genotype-specific plant growth and adaptation. An important conclusion was that landraces contained the diversity to adapt to the new growing environment at higher altitudes.

Download Full-text

Identification and pathogenicity of microorganisms affecting purple passion fruit in Colombia

Revista CERES ◽

10.1590/0034-737x201764030005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 250-257

Author(s):

Joaquín Guillermo Ramírez Gil ◽

Pablo Julián Tamayo ◽

Juan Gonzalo Morales

Keyword(s):

Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Phytophthora Nicotianae ◽

Passiflora Edulis ◽

Fruit Samples ◽

Phytophthora Drechsleri ◽

Pathogenicity Tests ◽

Purple Passion Fruit ◽

First Time

ABSTRACT Purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. edulis Sims, known in Colombia as “gulupa”) is an increasingly important crop in Colombia, as seen by an increase in the area under cultivation. This recent prominence coincides with a low number of existing technologies related to the cultivation of the fruit, resulting in a lack of knowledge about its associated pathogens and the absence of rapid and precise diagnostic tests. The objective of this study was to determine the pathogenicity of distinct microorganisms isolated from purple passion fruit samples, some of which had not been previously reported in Colombia. The sampling was performed in seven plots located in two regions of the Colombian Antioquia. With the use of field symptomatology, the isolation of microorganisms, morphological characteristics, molecular analysis, and pathogenicity tests, the pathogen species Phytophthora nicotianae var. parasitica, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato, and Phytophthora drechsleri were identified for the first time in Colombia. These pathogens cause lesions in fruits, with an incidence of 10.9, 7.6, and 2.8%, respectively. This is also the first report on a global level of Phytophthora drechsleri causing a disease in this plant species.

Download Full-text

First Report of Collar Rot in Purple Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) Caused by Neocosmospora solani in Yunnan province, China

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-01-21-0126-pdn ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chun-Hui Hao ◽

Xia Chai ◽

Fu-Chuan Wu ◽

Zeng-Fu Xu

Keyword(s):

Fusarium Solani ◽

Yunnan Province ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Causal Organism ◽

Passiflora Edulis ◽

Tropical Fruit ◽

Collar Rot ◽

Purple Passion Fruit

Purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is a perennial climbing vine native to South America that is grown worldwide as an edible tropical fruit with excellent nutritional value and high economic value (Zibadi et al. 2007). With the increasing expansion of the plantation area in China, considerable economic loss caused by collar rot has attracted wide attention. From 2018-2020, collar rot resulted in the death of many plants of P. edulis 'Mantianxing', a commercial cultivar in China, in southwest China's Yunnan province. The disease spread quickly, and field incidence reached more than 50%. Stem rot symptoms were observed at the base of the stem, about 5-10 cm from the ground, resulting in wilting, defoliation, and death of plants. Representative symptomatic samples were collected from the base of five plants, surface disinfested for 30 seconds with 75% ethanol and 15 min with 10% hypochlorite, washed three times with sterile distilled water, then transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) dishes. After 2 days in the dark at 28℃, emerging fungal colonies were purified on new PDA dishes cultured at 28℃ for 7 days. The mycelia were flocculent. The color of the surface and the reverse colony was white and cream, respectively. On synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) medium, microconidia were oval, ellipsoidal or reniform, 0- or 1-septate, and 6.7-23.1 μm in length (n>30); macroconidia were straight to slightly curved, 3- or 5-septate, and 30.8-53.9 μm in length (n>30). Genomic DNA, extracted from six isolates, was amplified with three pairs of primers, ITS1 and ITS4 (White et al. 1990) , EF1-728F and EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), and fRPB2-5F and fRPB2-7cR (Liu et al. 1999). The amplicons from all six isolates were sequenced and identical sequences obtained. The sequence of one representative isolate was uploaded to NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) and analyzed with BLASTn in the Fusarium MLST database (https://fusarium.mycobank.org). The sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region (GenBank MN944550) showed 99.1% (449/453 bp) identity to Fusarium solani strain NRRL 53667 (syn: Neocosmospora solani, GenBank MH582405). The sequence of the translation elongation factor-1 (EF-1) gene (GenBank MN938933) showed 97.8% identity (263/269 bp) to F. solani strain NRRL 32828 (GenBank DQ247135). The sequence of the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase Ⅱ (RPB2) gene (GenBank MW002686) showed 98.7% identity (810/821 bp) to F. solani strain NRRL 43441 (GenBank MH582407). Based on a multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1, EF-1 and RPB2 sequences, coupled with the morphological characteristics, the isolate (designated as NsPed1) was considered to be Neocosmospora solani (syn: Fusarium solani) (Crespo et al. 2019). Subsequently, three-month-old healthy seedlings and 45-day-old cuttings of P. edulis 'Mantianxing' plants were inoculated with the isolate NsPed1 to test its pathogenicity. Stems were wounded, approximately 1-2 mm deep, in the collar region of plants at 2 cm above the soil. A disk (9 mm in diameter) of NsPed1-colonized PDA was placed on the wound. Sterile PDA served as controls. All plants were kept in a growth chamber with 28-30°C, 60% relative humidity, and 16/8-h light/dark photoperiod. Fifteen plants were used for each treatment and replicated three times. Two weeks after inoculation, the stems of the inoculated plants turned brown with a lesion, 2-5 cm in length, and the leaves wilted. These symptoms were similar to those of the diseased plants in the field. The control plants were asymptomatic. N. solani NsPed1 was re-isolated from the infected plants, satisfying Koch’s postulates. Taken together, N. solani NsPed1 was identified as the causal pathogen of collar rot in P. edulis 'Mantianxing'. Knowledge of the causal organism of collar rot in purple passion fruit will lead to improved measures to prevent and control the disease in China and other countries.

Download Full-text

Effets Des Technologies Membranaires Sur Les Caracteristiques Physicochimiques Des Extraits De Fruits De La Passion (Passiflora Edulis)

European Scientific Journal ESJ ◽

10.19044/esj.2018.v14n33p281 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (33) ◽

pp. 281

Author(s):

Casimir Anauma Koko ◽

Benjamin Kan Kouamé ◽

Massé Diomandé ◽

Christiane Eunice Adjoua Boko ◽

Félix Adjé ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Physicochemical Parameters ◽

Food Industry ◽

Principal Component ◽

Physicochemical Characteristics ◽

Reduction Factor ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Passiflora Edulis ◽

Membrane Technologies ◽

Brix Degree

The passion fruit or grenadilla is usually consumed in the form of juice and its pleasant intensive aroma and flavor make it an attractive element for the food industry. The objective of the present work is to determine the effects of membrane technologies such as tangential microfiltration and reverse osmosis on the physicochemical characteristics of passion fruit extracts. The characteristics of the various extracts were determined according to conventional methods. In addition, statistical methods were applied to the data collected in order to determine the effects of membrane technologies. The results showed a yield of 89.33% for the extraction of the microfiltered juice and a volume reduction factor of 16.75 for the concentrate. In addition, the microfiltration-concentration process significantly (p <0.05) influenced the physicochemical parameters of the extracts produced. Thus, tangential microfiltration made it possible to clarify the crude extract by changing from a turbidity of 89.23 ± 1.71 to 0.72 ± 0.02 NTU. It has also resulted in a significant decrease in pH and flavonoids contents. Principal component analysis confirmed the existence of differences between the extracts produced despite the various correlations between their characteristics. It revealed that the JB and CMFT extracts are characterized by their high pH and low density. On the other hand, the COI extract is characterized by its brix degree, viscosity, conductivity and high vitamin C content. In addition, reverse osmosis has the advantage of concentrating the compounds of interest of clarified juice with a concentration factor ranging from 2.15 to 9.39.

Download Full-text