Harvest Money Expo: Success in passion fruit growing starts with right seedling

On day four of the virtual Harvest Money Expo, farming enthusiasts and well-wishers were trained on passion fruit farming. The training was conducted by Bashir Mayiga, a passion fruit farmer.

The training was broadcasted on all Vision Group TVs, streamed on all its social media platforms and the New Vision digital app.

Bashir Mayiga (middle) receiving a passion fruit from Siraji Kizito. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

Mayiga started by warning people who want to venture into farming to first acquire knowledge from experts noting that it is only then they will enjoy farming.

To grow passion fruits for business, Mayiga said one should start with the right seedlings especially if you want to do passion fruit farming as a business.

Mayiga who abandoned bodaboda business for passion fruit growing said one can either prepare their own seedlings or buy from a trusted source, making sure the seedling is from a healthy plant.

“We grow UPF 12 because it is high yielding. UPF is Uganda Passion Fruit and 12 means the plant starts to flower at the height of 12 inches. We have preserved this seed and many farmers out there have benefitted from it and they appreciate our work,” he said.

The second important step is to prepare the garden. This can be done through spraying to kill the weeds or hiring a tractor to clear the land.  After spraying, the weeds will die within 3 days.

Bashir Mayiga, a passion fruit farmer

When the garden is clear, Mayiga said, a farmer should dig the pits 1ft wide and 1ft deep, put back the topsoil in the pit and make a small hole using the fingers, unwrap and place the seedling.

“Make sure the seedling is not covered beyond the soil level from the nursery. After planting, water the plants, especially in the dry season, it is advisable to have a water source at your farm. It is always best to water the plants early morning and, in the evening,” he said.

Mayiga said fertilizer should be applied after seven days. Farmers can use NPK17 and if the plant is weak, use urea fertilizer to help it grow well and become green because urea has higher nitrogen content as compared to NPK 17.

“Measure one step from the plant and then apply fertilizer around the plant then cover with soil. At this stage, the plant has not yet developed the root system. This is because passions have fibrous roots. These roots are weak and if you put fertilizer directly on them, it will burn them and the plant will dry up,” he said.

He said after 10 days, a farmer should then apply pesticides to kill pests, their eggs and fungal diseases, and they can also spray with folia to boost the leaves.

“As the plant grows, get grass and mulch the plant at the roots or the whole garden if you have enough mulch, this helps in water retention. Add fertilizer and prune the bud to help it develop many branches. One plant can develop 10 branches or more,” he said.

The training was broadcasted on all Vision Group TVs, streamed on all its social media platforms and the New Vision digital app

He said when the plant has grown, farmers should then start digging holes for the poles to give the plant a strong shade. The poles should be 9ft long and the pit 2ft deep. After fixing the holes, the poles will be 7ft long above the ground to help one move through the garden easily.

“After fixing the poles use galvanized wire or plain wire of 12 half gauge. Fix the wire above the pole, for an acre, you will need four rolls of wire. Then fix the net of 7x12ft and 8x12ft on top of the wire. Use banana fibres or sisal to aid the plant to climb,” he said.

He advised farmers to add fertilizer every after three months. They can use NPK and Kan. Kan helps the plant to be fruitful. He advised them to use four bags of NPK and 2 bags of Kan.

“When applying the fertilizer, dig around the plant and apply the fertilizer on top,” he advised.

Passion fruits

The most rampant passion fruit disease is blight but, Mayiga said, it is preventable through early spraying of the plant.

Blight affects the leaves with spots and turns them yellow. When the spots on the fruit rot, flies will lay eggs on it and worms enter inside. The blight then spreads to the branches, making them dry.

Dina Nalubega displaying a Harvest Monet book. They are now available at sh20,000 from our offices or agent points countrywide to enhance your agricultural knowledge.

“Farmers must start prevention measures immediately after seeing the first signs of blight. Delay in spraying causes blight disease. Sometimes it also occurs due to heavy rains which wash away the pesticides,” he said.

With passion fruits, he said one can start earning within five months and continue to harvest for a long time. Mayiga earns between sh300,000 and sh500,000 for a bag of passion fruits.