ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF PASSION FRUITS

1. TITLE – EFFICACY OF VARIOUS CULTURAL METHODS IN MANAGEMENT OF APHID VECTORS OF VIRAL DISEASES IN PASSION FRUIT.By:MARION NDEGWA Supervised by DR. DORA KILALO

2. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF PASSION FRUITS • Grown as fruits both for local and export market. • Important in juice industry • It’s a quick cash crop • Has hundreds of medicinal properties. • Its natural chemical is used to lower blood pressure. CONSTRAINTS IN PRODUCTION OF PASSION FRUITS. • Lack of clean planting materials. • Diseases especially viral diseases like Woodiness disease and fusarium wilt.

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT.APHIDS • They are small insects less than 5mm long. • They have pear like shape and have connicles. • Belong to the order Hemiptera sub order Homoptera. • Transmit viral diseases in crops. • Cause huge damage in the production of passion fruits.

4. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY • Aphids cause adverse damage to passion fruits • Aphids are major vectors of viral diseases. • Transmit diseases like woodiness and fusarium wilt in passion fruits. • Viral diseases are major drawback in passion fruits production.

5. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY • To determine the efficacy of various cultural methods in aphid management. • To determine the distribution of aphid population in various treatments.

6. MATERIALS AND METHODS • Passion fruit field, measuring 108x 24m. • Passion fruits spaced at 3x2m. • Variety planted was yellow passion fruit. • 5kgs of manure applied per hole, N.P.K. 17:17:17 fertilizer at a rate of 100gm per hole. • Passion fruit field divided into 3 blocks measuring 60x8m. • Each block further divided into four plots measuring 15x8m.

7. Each plot represents a treatment. • Four treatments; Mulch, yellow strip, D’ctron and control were applied. • 2Yellow traps were set on every treatment. • Aphids were collected from every trap after every four days and counted under microscope.

8. The experiment followed a complete Radomized block design (CRBD).FIELD LAYOUT Block 1 Block 2 Block 3

9. RESULTS The results shows there was no significant difference in all the treatments.

10. D’ctron had the lowest number of aphids. • Control had the highest number.

12. DISCUSSION • Aphids visited the passion fruit field. • The various cultural methods used were not effective in the control of aphids. • Other researchers have demonstrated these methods to be effective • Unusual peak of aphids observed at the 16th day of sampling due to bush clearing. • Neighbouring crops such as beans and pigeon peas could have affected the result and the enviromental conditions prevailing. • Grass mulch used instead of reflective mulch also affected the result. • Probably if the period was longer the results could be different.

13. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION • The various cultural practices cannot be used singly in management of aphids. • These cultural methods can be integrated with other compatible insect control methods. • Reflective mulch should be used instead of grass mulch. • Further research should be carried out to determine the effectiveness of these methods when integrated with other insect control methods.

14. THANK YOU.