GROWTH, FRUIT SET, AND FUSARIOSIS REACTION OF YELLOW PASSION FRUIT GRAFTED ONTO Passiflora spp.

Yellow passion fruit grafting on other Passiflora spp. may be an alternative technique for the production under biotic stresses, especially soil-borne diseases. This study evaluated the survival of yellow passion fruit to fusariosis grafted onto P. edulis, P. alata, P. gibertii and P. cincinnata, in the field in Cruz das Almas, State of Bahia, Brazil. Horticultural performance was evaluated as plant growth, flowering and fruit set up to 13 months after transplanting. The apical cleft hipocotyledonar grafting was used. Survival analysis to fusariosis was based on the detection of typical visual symptoms. Grafting in species of wild passifloras did not influence on the stem diameter or fruit set of the yellow passion fruit, even though the flowering of P. edulis grafted on P. alata was lower than P. edulis grafted on itself. Hipocotyledonar grafting of P. edulis on P. gibertii, P. cincinnata and P. alata resulted in similar survival rates to fusariosis in relation to plants grafted onto P. edulis up to 13 months after transplanting.