How to control pests and diseases in passion fruits

Passion fruits are high-value perennial crops which produce fruits within a year.

Due to changing consumer preferences from carbonated soft drinks to fresh juices, demand for passion fruits is set to go high with brands like Afya juice, Delmonte and Coca-Cola sourcing various fruits from farmers to satisfy consumers wants. Despite the increased demand, farmers are still struggling with diseases affecting their crop produce. 

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Here are common pests and disease destroying your passion fruits:

Pests

Aphids are soft-bodied insects that suck the plants' sap causing the plants leaves to curl and crinkle.

Cutworms will be found in the soil near the root zone of the crop where they cut the stem of younger plants below the soil surface.

Fruit flies attack the young fruits leading to the production of deformed fruits.

Mealybugs are small flat, soft-bodied insects with their bodies covered with a white secretion. They suck sap from tender leaves, petioles and fruits. The leaves of infected plants turn yellow and eventually dry.

Scales appear like small shells glued to the plant’s fruits and leaves. They will suck the plants' sap causing the leaves to turn yellow and fruits to fall off.

Although it is hard to control pests since beneficial and destructive insects are closely associated with the plants, farmers should apply pesticides at the appropriate time.

You can spray when the pollinating insects are not active. 

Diseases

Brown spot

It causes the formation of brownish rings with dead spots on the plant leaves, stems and fruits. Huge attacks can cause defoliation and fruit to fall.

The disease spreads rapidly in areas with high temperatures and humid conditions.

It is controlled by removal of all infected material and increasing pruning frequency during humid periods.

Fusarium wilt

It is a soil-borne disease that attacks the rooting system of the affected plant. It will spread upward along the stem where you can spot brown patches around the stem. The plant wilts and eventually die.

There is no control and farmers are advised to uproot infected plants and burn them.

Woodiness disease

This is the most challenging disease transmitted from one plant to another by aphids. They transfer sap from a diseased plant to the healthy one. The leaves will turn dark green and shrink. 

You will notice the disease by sighting grossly misshapen fruits, abnormal thickening and reduced pulp cavity. The fruit wall tissues will also harden.

Farmers can exercise plant hygiene during pruning by sterilizing the knives used. Uprooting and burning the infected plants will reduce its spread and practising crop rotation.