Fertilizer Management for Passion Fruit (Passifloraedulis)on Alaminos Clay Soil

Soils in rolling to hilly are strongly acidic and deficient in N, P and K – characteristics that are major constraints to high fruit yield like passion fruit. The importance of the macronutrient to passion fruit production showed that best yield was obtained with fertilization of 250-50-80 kg N-P2O5- K2Oha-1. The degree of importance of N, P and K followed the order N > P > K. Yield reductions due to the absence of these nutrients from the complete treatment were 60%, 39% and 7%, respectively. Furthermore, best value per fruit was observed with fertilization 250-50-80 kg N-P2O5-K2O ha-1.Mean value per fruit reductions due to non-application of N or P or K from the complete treatment were 29.74%, 17.75% and 11.19%, respectively. Higher juice characteristic (pH) was observed from treatments with K compared from treatments without K. Performance of passion fruit from combined inorganic and organic fertilizers showed that highest yield and average value per fruit were produced by fertilization with 75% IF + 25% OF. Yield per hectare and average value per fruit reductions due to decreasing of percentage inorganic fertilizer (IF) but increasing of percentage organic fertilizer (OF) like 50% IF + 50% OF, 25% IF + 75% OF, and 100% OF were 26%, 37%, and 56% the former and 6%, 13%, and 41% the later, respectively.

Keywords: Passion fruit, Alaminos clay, Inorganic and organic fertilizers