Passion Fruit | Finca Ecoorganica Sarapiquí

Passion Fruit in Costa Rica

Description:

Common name: passion fruit, calala, chinola, parchita, parcha, pasionaria, granadilla.
Scientific name: Passiflora edulis
Family: Passifloraceae.

Morphological description:

It is a climbing plant, perennial, with rigid and woody stems. Its leaves are large, smooth and dark green. The blade has three lobes, is bright and the edges are serrated. The flowers (usually white, with pinkish or reddish tints) are solitary and are born in the armpits of the leaves. The fruit has a thin and hard shell, inside it is occupied by seeds. The seeds are flat and black and are surrounded by an aril containing carotene, ascorbic acid and sugars. The fruit falls when it reaches maturity.

Varieties: The commercial part that we know of this fruit are of two varieties: yellow (P. edulis F. flavicarpa) and purple (P. edulis F. edulis).

Origin and Distribution:

The passion fruit is native to the south of Brazil widely distributed in the American tropics, it is said to be an Amazonian crop. In commerce, it was first known in Australia, then it went to Hawaii, it is already this country developed as a crop. It is currently grown in most tropical countries, although it grows more easily in the northern area of South America, all of Peru to the north of Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. However, Costa Rica is also favored with this crop.
It can reach 9 meters in length in climatic conditions that are favorable for the plant, however it usually does not reach more than 10 years.

History of passion Fruit:

Passion fruit is a tropical fruit, with a slightly acid and scented taste. The Spaniards were the ones who adopted the name fruit of passion after contact with natives of Peru. The Spanish people at first referred to her as “old donkey”, but upon knowing the shrub of this fruit and especially its flower, they called it “the pious flower” since for them it reminded them of the elements of the “Passion of Jesus Christ”.
The name maracuyá was through Portuguese. It is a corruption of the guaburi mburucuja; etymologically mberu kuja, “hammock of diptera”, since the sweet tastes of its nectar is attractive for the spawning of insects.

Nutritional Value:

If we compare passion fruit with other crops, it can be mentioned that this crop has a high calorie content. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals such as: Vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. The passion fruit is also rich in phytochemicals (anthocyanins, carotenoids and organosulfur compounds)

Benefits:

• Its high fiber content helps the treatment and prevention of constipation.
• As a fruit rich in both iron and vitamin C, it helps in the treatment of anemia.
• Your vitamin C helps prevent infectious diseases, such as the common cold.
• It also helps as an antioxidant, this helps cardiovascular health.

Most Common Pests:

This crop is attacked by many pests. Some of them are:
Damage caused by fungi
• Pythium sp. Evil of the talluelo. Attack roots.
• Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Decay. Attack roots.

• Cercospora biformis. Leaf spot. Attacks leaves.

• Phytophthora cinnamomi. Neck rot. Attack stem.

• Cladosporium herbarum. Scabies. Attacks leaves.
• Alternaria passiflorae. Brown spot Attacks leaves.
• Corynespora cassiicola. Leaf spot. Attacks leaves.

• Cladosporium herbarum. Scabies. Attacks leaves.
• Septoria passiflorae. Stain. Attacks leaves and fruits.

• Fusarium oxysporum fsp. passiflorae Dry rot. Attack roots.
•Rhizoctonia solani (Teliomorph: Tanathephorus cucumeris). Decay. Attacks stems and roots.

Preparation methods:

a. Raw: passion fruit is a food that can be eaten raw.
b. Juice: To make drinks you can liquefy it alone or in accompaniment of other fruits.
c. The fruit juice can be obtained by pressing the pulp or processing it, it is usually too thick to drink directly, so it is combined with juices of other fruits, milk, yogurt or simply water.
d. In Colombia it is common to use passion fruit to prepare sweets and jams, as well as juices, desserts and nectars.
e. The plant also functions as food for the larvae of the butterfly Acraea acara.