Recipient Organization
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MISSISSIPPI STATE,MS 39762
Performing Department
Coastal Research & Extension C
Non Technical Summary
Passion fruit (Passiflora sp.) is largely an unknown domestic fruit crop. The latest data regarding passion fruit production indicates that production in the U.S. is limited to warm climates areas of Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii though some production has been attempted in other southern states. This project seeks to bring together stakeholders, researchers, and extension personnel to identify challenges and opportunities that are critical to the growth of the U.S. passion fruit industry. We will develop and implement a survey to identify current and potential passion fruit producers and passion fruit research priorities. The results of the survey will allow us to organize a planning meeting to address the needs of the industry and plan research and extension projects. We propose to organize a two-day planning meeting to take place at the University of Florida Tropical Research and Extension Center in Homestead, Florida which will ensure that current and potential grower, researchers, and private sector stakeholders can most easily participate in the meeting. Final survey results will also be disseminated to industry stakeholders through various outlets, including social media and industry publications. A white paper detailing research gaps and priorities for expansion of passion fruit production in the southern U.S. will be published. In the short term, the implementation and publication of the stakeholder survey will be a valuable resource for researchers and producers alike. In the long-term, this project will bring together researchers from many disciplines to develop proposals that will address priorities stemming from the survey.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Passion fruit (Passiflora sp.) is largely an unknown domestic fruit crop. The latest data regarding passion fruit production indicates that production in the USA is limited to warm climates in areas of Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii though some production has been attempted in other states such as Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. Passion fruit is a high value tropical crop usually grown on small farms. According to the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture the total number of farms of bearing age was 257 on a total of 85 acres, with an average farm on less than a 1/3 acre. This statistic is likely lower than actual production since Florida production alone is estimated to be on as many as 72 to 100 acres, with an additional 50 acres to be planted soon (Crane, 2018). In south Florida the tropical fruit industry in the area is estimated to be worth $73.5 million per year with 1,800 growers on 14,562 acres. Like many fruit crops, passion fruit is marketed as fresh fruit which is more valuable than processed.In the U.S., fresh passion fruit are sold at farmers markets and in grocery stores by piece or in a clam shell of multiple fruit. Consumers purchasing passion fruit are motivated by the attractive tropical flavor, yet the fruit boast many health benefits including high amounts of vitamins and antioxidants (Leterme, 2006; Percival and Findley, 2014; Talcott et al., 2003). A small portion of the domestic crop is sold through internet sales and processed into added value products such as drinks, ice cream, or desserts. Importing fresh passion fruit into the U.S. is limited due to quarantine restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of insects (such as the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata). Only Australia, Bermuda, Chile, New Zealand, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are approved countries to export fresh passion fruit into the U.S. (USDA-APHIS, 2020). Fruit that are imported are expensive and sold at a piece rate.Domestic production of passion fruit is favored due to increased air shipping costs, import restrictions on most passion fruit-producing countries, and the local food movement. Even though the southern U.S. has a potentially suitable climate for producing passion fruit, current circumstances prevent growers from producing at the highest potential yield. Challenges include disease and pest pressures that are problematic due to the lack of disease resistant cultivars, poor soil quality (e.g., high soil pH, low cation exchange capacity), and periods of cold weather. Because of root and trunk rots, the constant need to re-plant or regrow plantings every two to three years which makes it difficult to earn a sustainable profit at present. While south Florida is a unique environment of the continental United States where passion fruit can be grown due to the high average seasonal temperatures, other areas of the southern U.S. may be suitable with new cultivar development and improved cultural practices (e.g. AL, MS, south TX, south GA, LA). Protected agriculture systems may also expand the regions passionfruit could be grown in the southern U.S. Also, since passion fruit is a high value crop it could be a diversification tool for southern U.S. growers who previously relied on crops that are no longer as profitable or that require longer rotations.While there is great potential for domestic passion fruit production, systematic breeding using modern phenotyping and genotyping methods are currently nonexistent. The primary breeding targets should be designed to improve the agronomic potential of passion fruit, which include fruit quality, crop yield, and disease resistance. The following breeding and research objectives would lead to more productive passion fruit vines: resistance to fungal and virus-caused diseases (vine & fruit), availability of clean (virus-free) planting material, dependable cropping systems, extended season (varieties to produce all year), retention of ripe fruit on vine, higher juice content, and improvement in cold hardiness. Passion fruit molecular technology is still in its infancy, and to fully utilize future technology the availability of diverse genetic resources is essential. Considering the current limitations for passion fruit consumers and growers, the need to improve the domestic production and quality of passion fruit is highly warranted.In summary there is limited information available for the passion fruit grower regarding cultural management practices, cultivars, or rootstocks. There are no publicly available disease resistant cultivars, let alone a variety with high fruit quality adapted to the southern U.S. However, a passion fruit industry is established in Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii and to some extent supporting research for passion fruit improvement. Domestic passion fruit consumption is also poised to grow given many businesses marketing tropical fruit in various products, consumer trends in diversifying and improving diets, and the local food movement. Therefore, responding to the needs of current passion fruit producers, as well as future industry needs and challenges, is of utmost importance.This project seeks to bring together stakeholders, researchers, and extension personnel to identify challenges and opportunities that are critical to the growth of the U.S. passion fruit industry. We will develop and implement a survey to identify current and potential passion fruit producers and needs for passion fruit production and research priorities. The results of the survey will allow us to organize a strategic planning meeting to address the needs of the industry and plan a path forward for research and extension projects. We intend to use this strategic planning grant to develop future NIFA-SCRI proposals.This project has short- and long-term benefits for the nascent passion fruit industry. In the short term, the implementation and publication of the stakeholder survey will be a valuable resource for researchers and producers alike. In the long-term, this project will bring together researchers from many disciplines to develop proposals that will address priorities stemming from the survey. Our project evaluator (Downey) will act as facilitator of the Strategic planning meeting and monitor project deliverables, as well as ensuring adequate stakeholder input at all stages of the project.
Project Methods
Survey of current production, pest issues, and research and extension priorities:The project team proposes to develop and implement a survey to assess passion fruit production (in terms of acreage, sales, and cultivars) and identify strategic research and extension priorities. Because USDA-NASS only reports passion fruit production statistics in Florida, California, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, little is known about the value of passion fruit in US subtropical production regions. We will work with an evaluator to design the survey to maximize participation and information feedback about priority areas for research and extension. Our project team will partner with industry stakeholders to distribute the survey at grower meetings, farm visits, and online through our project website. While most passion fruit production is generated in international locations, it is important to understand the domestic market. The inclusion of international participants would be a future goal to help us to understand problems on the horizon and opportunities for U.S. producers in the export market.Little research and outreach have been conducted on passion fruit in the U.S. Establishing imminent needs and priorities are a key objective of the survey. While breeding is an obvious need there may be other key elements (e.g. pest control, propagation of clean plant material, plant nutrition, irrigation, etc.) that currently limit profitable passion fruit production. Education on the species, its growth and development, as well as economics and marketing will be addressed. Reports of disease pressure on passion fruit in Florida indicate the following main diseases: Fusarium-induced wilt and canker, Phytophthora root rot, foliage and fruit anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum and Alternaria species, and poty-viruses leading to extensive vine decline and fruit malformations. Postharvest diseases have not been studied but Lasiodiplodia theobromae has been documented causing fruit rot. Knowledge concerning pests is very limited.Hybrid online and in-person (as appropriate) strategic planning meeting in conjunction with industry members:We propose to organize a two-day planning meeting to take place at the University of Florida Tropical Research and Extension Center in Homestead, Florida which will ensure that current and potential growers and private sector stakeholders can most easily participate in the meeting. We will invite growers, packing house operators, propagators, and private sector horticulturists and breeders. The first day of the planning will be dedicated to a discussion of the grower survey results and identification of strategic priorities that are common to the passion fruit industry. During the second day, we will narrow down the strategic priorities and begin planning for potential future proposals. We will include a professional evaluator in the project planning meeting to ensure that stakeholders are fully engaged in the process.Publication of survey results and strategic plan development:Results of the stakeholder survey will be summarized in an article to be submitted in a peer-reviewed journal. Final survey results will also be disseminated to industry stakeholders through various outlets, including web pages, social media, and industry publications. We will also prepare a white paper detailing research gaps and priorities for expansion of passion fruit production in the southern U.S. This document will be used to develop grant applications for NIFA-SCRI and other funding agencies, as appropriate.