How to graft purple passion fruits the right way for maximum production

The simple steps and full guide on How to graft purple passion fruits the right way for maximum production Grafting refers to propagating, or reproducing, a plant from the parts of two parent plants: a rootstock and a scion. The grafted plant shares qualities of both parent plants; grafting is commonly used to produce plants with more fruit production and disease resistance than the donors.

Rootstock: Rootstock of the purple passion fruit is the base and root portion of a grafted plant. It’s grafted onto the scion.

Scion: This is the flowering or fruiting part of the purple passion fruit plant which is grafted onto rootstock in order to create a new plant with superior qualities.

GRAFTING PURPLE PASSION FRUITS

This type of passion fruit is most suited to upper midland and highlands (1,100 to 2,500m above sea level). It has purple color, superior fruits of 4-5 cm in diameter which have an aromatic flavor. It is good for fresh market and Juice extraction for local and export markets.

Purple passion fruit production is constrained by several insect pests, diseases and inadequate knowledge on the management of the crop among other factors leading to lower potential that’s why grafting of its seedlings is done.

What you need

Blade
Sterilizer especially jik
Healthy purple passion fruit seedlings 50cm high and 3 to 4 mm thick which have dark green leaves
Scions from healthy high yielding true-to-type vines of purple passion fruit are collected preferably when the plants have flowered.
Grafting tape or polythene nylon paper

GRAFTING

Make a 1 1/2-inch-long, wide cut partway through the main stem of the purple passion fruit seedling 10 to 12 inches above the soil line using the utility knife. This will serve as the graft’s rootstock. Ensure you find the softer part of the stem. Ensure also that this part of the rootstock has no leaves.

Grafted seedlings for sale Uganda photo courtesy twitter

Remove leaves of the main stem of a purple passion fruit plant until you are left only with the top part with two main leaves using the utility knife. This are vines of purple passion fruit collected preferably when the plants have flowered from a healthy high yielding purple passion fruit.

Ensure this part measures 30 to 40 cm. This piece serves as the graft’s scion. Cut the softer part in an area with the same diameter as the root stock in a V shaped manner the way you sharpen a pencil

Position the cut surface of the scion – the exposed vascular tissue known as the cambia – against the cut surface of the rootstock. Wrap the union of the rootstock and the scion firmly three to four times with grafting tape or the polythene paper.

You can now place the grafted passion fruit outside in a shaded area after the outside temperature reaches 65 degrees F.

AFTER GRAFTING PURPLE PASSION FRUIT

The grafted Seedlings should be watered regularly and protected from insects also harden-off seedlings by exposing them to the sun gradually when scion shoot grows about 10cm long. Remove grafting tape from the union and transplant seedling in the field one month after grafting. At this time also your grafted seedlings are ready for sale this seedlings always fetch a higher price and you can make yourself a fortune either by farming or selling the seedlings.

BUSINESS GUIDES

How to graft purple passion fruits the right way for maximum production