This project addresses common issues that influence passionfruit production in both South Sulawesi and Australia, with only the market destination for product being different. For South Sulawesi, the primary market driver is consistent monthly supply for processing fruit and for northern Australia, a high priced market niche for fresh fruit. For Australia, a short vine life issue is a prominent concern within industry and root pathogens and virus appear to be key issues impacting on vine longevity.
The project aims to resolve these issues through three key objectives and to date the following project initiatives have been achieved.
Objective 1: To improve passionfruit vine longevity through appropriate disease management in highland production areas of South Sulawesi and Australia.
Comprehensive disease surveys have been completed in south Sulawesi and continue in north-west Australia. In Sulawesi the project team has identified the economic disease Fusarium wilt - Fusarium oxysporum var. passiflora and confirms this pathogen as a key disease impacting on production there. Several other pathogens and nematode have been identified and suspected viruses have also been collected. An insect borer was also detected from the Tana Toraja growing area and is of economic concern.
For North West Australia, some limited surveying of young vines has occurred and a number of pathogens have been identified notably base rot - Fusarium solani. Surveying will continue as plantings mature. To date Fusarium wilt and Woodiness virus have not been isolated. A new bacterial pathogen has been isolated from the Darwin region and may prove to be an economic issue in some areas of north Australia.
Following the quantification of economic pathogens, disease management strategies for passionfruit have been developed. Several workshops on use of disease tolerant rootstocks and grafting techniques have been held and further workshops are planned. In addition several learning aids are being developed and the team has already produced a DVD on grafting for disease management in passionfruit. The project team acknowledges the assistance of Mark Christie, Communication specialist, NTDRDPIFR for DVD development.
Objective 2: To improve continuity of quality pulp supply through the introduction of new germ-plasm in both lowlands and highlands of Sulawesi and re-invigorate the Australian "fresh" fruit production.
The project team has identified and secured potential new scion varieties and rootstock lines. This material is available from within the "public domain" and thus presents no intellectual property issues. Due to quarantine difficulties in germplasm movement from Australia to Indonesia, project partners in south Sulawesi have been active in sourcing local Indonesian germplasm of interest. They have now established disease tolerant rootstock lines, potential processing types of 'flavicarpa" selections and at least one "Panama Red" selection which has all been derived from Bali, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. This material is currently being established in low-land and up-land production regions.
Germplasm has been sourced and introduced to North West Australia and includes several seed lines of the commercially important "Panama Red" types along with disease tolerant rootstocks. This germplasm has been established in the Darwin, Katherine (NT) and Ord valley (WA) regions and evaluation continues with collaborating growers. A key finding of the early evaluation is that not all "Panama Red" seed lines appear suited to the region and hence local adaptability has become a major selection criteria for the many Panama Red seed lines being evaluated in the project.
Best practise blocks have been established in Sulawesi and northern Australia. The critical elements of the "Best practice" concept for passionfruit have been identified and are currently being integrated into to the project.
Virus elimination from commercially important Australian cultivars utilising heat therapy has been a valuable addition to the project. This work will commence shortly under the direction of pathologists from QDPI and through the endorsement of APIA. If successful this will allow the establishment of virus-free "mother-stock" plants secured in virus vector-free greenhouses which can then supply the Australian passionfruit industry with quality, virus free planting stock.
Objective 3: Develop supply chain models to meet long term market demand.
With several options for a "Passionfruit Processor Lead" model, the project team in association with APSARI have evolved a model which will ensure continuous uptake of improved germplasm and agronomic techniques and so guarantee supply over a time continuum. This same model has implications for northern Australia as the project has generated interest from national marketers seeking annual supply of fresh passionfruit over several months of the year.
The project continues to progress well and has already made significant impacts in passionfruit development in both South Sulawesi and Australia.

This project addresses common issues that influence passionfruit production in both South Sulawesi (SulSel) and North West Australia (NW), with only the market destination and product end use being different. For South Sulawesi, the primary market driver is consistent monthly supply for processing fruit and for North West Australia, a high priced market niche for fresh fruit. Pathologically in North West Australia, a short vine life issue is a prominent concern within industry and for South Sulawesi, root pathogens and virus appear to be factors impacting on vine longevity.
The project aims to resolve these issues through three key objectives and to date the following project initiatives have been achieved.
Objective 1: To improve passionfruit vine longevity through appropriate disease management in highland production areas of South Sulawesi and Australia.
Comprehensive disease surveys have been completed in south Sulawesi and north-west Australia. In Sulawesi the project team has identified the economic disease Fusarium wilt - Fusarium oxysporum var. passiflora and confirms this pathogen as a key disease impacting on production there. Several other pathogens and nematode have been identified and suspected viruses have also been collected. An insect borer was also detected from the Tana Toraja growing area and is of economic concern. Ironically, a stem borer has recently been found causing significant damage to old vines in the Darwin region. Secondary infection from Botryodiplodia theobromae also is exacerbating this insect damage. In both cases borer are from the "Longicorn beetle" group.
For North West Australia, surveying of young vines has occurred and a number of pathogens have been identified notably base rot - Fusarium solani. Surveying will continue as plantings mature. To date Fusarium wilt and Woodiness virus have not been isolated. A bacterium of initial concern has subsequently been verified as non-pathogenic Klebsiella and secondary to the initial collapse of vines and is ubiquitous within the Darwin, NT environment. In the Ord Valley, WA, Pythium and Rhizoctonia have been isolated from wilting vines. As for the Darwin region, no Fusarium or Woodiness virus have been detected to date. The team acknowledge Craig Palmer from WA Department of Agriculture, Kununurra for his valuable contribution to the project.
Following the quantification of economic pathogens, disease management strategies for passionfruit have been developed. In Sulawesi, initial workshops on use of disease tolerant rootstocks and grafting techniques have been complimented with follow up events in Malino and Bonto Bonto, run by the project regional co-ordinator. Flavicarpa seedlines with Fusarium tolerance, and a Panama Red seedline, all sourced from Sumatra, have been distributed to farmer groups in Kanreapia and Tombolo Pao sub district. Once this germplasm has been established, grafting workshops with this material are to be held. In South Sulawesi, a local flavicarpa, "Bogor Gold" is currently being used commercially with good success in the highlands around the Malakaji area.
All plantings in North West Australia established on DPI flavicarpa seedline (Australian industry standard stock) have succumbed to "short vine life" syndrome. Fusarium oxysporum has not been isolated and to date no specific pathogen has been identified. It appears that soil type is predisposing seedling Panamas reds and grafted vines on DPI flavicarpa rootstock to decline within 6 months and that soil aeration and poor structure are critical issues. The "Birdwood Brazil" flavicarpa seedline, as a stock for Panama Red scions, is exhibiting good longevity and all vines grafted to this stock are growing well in Darwin, Katherine and Ord valley while all vines on DPI flavicarpa stock have died.
Objective 2: To improve continuity of quality pulp supply through the introduction of new germ-plasm in both lowlands and highlands of Sulawesi and re-invigorate the Australian "fresh" fruit production.
The project team has identified and secured potential new scion varieties and rootstock lines. This material is available from within the "public domain" and thus presents no intellectual property issues. Project partners in south Sulawesi have been active in sourcing local Indonesian germplasm of interest and much of this has been field established by the processing sector on commercial farms near Makassar and in traditional highland areas. Evaluation of this material continues.
Germplasm has been sourced and introduced to North West Australia and includes several seed lines of the commercially important "Panama Red" types along with disease tolerant rootstocks. This germplasm has been established in the Darwin, Katherine (NT) and Ord valley (WA) regions and evaluation continues with collaborating growers.
Best practise blocks have been established in Sulawesi and northern Australia. The critical elements of the "Best practice" concept for passionfruit have been identified and are currently being integrated into to the project.
Several local vines of P. edulis form edulis have been selected by the project team in Sulawesi as potential "mother' vines for graft tip production. These are currently being indexed by the pathology team at Hasanuddin University to ensure freedom from virus prior to use for grafted plant production.
Methods for heat therapy and micro-grafting of passionfruit have been developed. Cuttings of a range of Australian varieties were established in growth cabinets and subjected to high day time temperatures (36-38). Tips of heat treated plants were micro-grafted to virus free 'DPI' rootstocks. Of the 42 grafts there were 16 successful takes. Of these two, a 'Sweetheart' and a 'Black Gem', have been shown to be free of virus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. These plants are now being kept in insect proof cages to keep them free of virus. The team acknowledge the assistance of Dave Spence, Principal Technical Officer, QDEEDI for development of micro-grafting.
Objective 3: Develop supply chain models to meet long term market demand.
With several options for a "Passionfruit Processor Lead" model, the project team in association with APSARI have evolved a model which will ensure continuous uptake of improved germplasm and agronomic techniques and so guarantee supply over a time continuum. This same model has implications for northern Australia as the project has generated interest from national marketers seeking annual supply of fresh passionfruit over several months of the year.
The project continues to progress well and has already made significant impacts in passionfruit development in both South Sulawesi and Australia.

This project addresses common issues that influence passionfruit production in both South Sulawesi (SS) and North West Australia (NW), with only the market destination and product end use being different. For South Sulawesi, the primary market driver is consistent monthly supply for processing fruit and for North West Australia, a high priced market niche for fresh fruit. Pathologically in North West Australia, a short vine life issue is a prominent concern within industry and for South Sulawesi, root pathogens are factors impacting on vine longevity. The project aims to resolve these issues through three key objectives and to date the following project initiatives have been achieved.
Objective 1: To improve passionfruit vine longevity through appropriate disease management in highland production areas of South Sulawesi and Australia.
Comprehensive disease surveys have been completed in South Sulawesi and North-West Australia. In Sulawesi the project team has identified the economic disease Fusarium wilt - Fusarium oxysporu var. passiflora and confirms this pathogen as a key disease impacting on production there. Several other pathogens and nematode have been identified and suspected viruses have also been collected. This work provides the basis for the management strategy of economic pathogens for both regions. Key survey findings have been presented at APPS conference 2011.
For North West Australia, surveying of young vines has occurred and a number of pathogens have been identified notably base rot - Fusarium solani. To date Fusarium wilt and Woodiness virus have not been isolated. In the Ord Valley, WA, Pythium and Rhizoctonia have been isolated from wilting vines. As for the Darwin region, no Fusarium or Woodiness virus have been detected to date. The team acknowledge Craig Palmer from WA Department of Agriculture, Kununurra for his valuable contribution to the project.
Following the quantification of economic pathogens, the disease management strategies for passionfruit now utilises Passiflora edulis form flavicarpa "Bogor Gold" seedlings as tolerant rootstocks in combination with selected scion wood from proven local seedlings of "edulis" types. In Sulawesi, initial workshops on use of disease tolerant rootstocks and grafting techniques have been complimented with follow up events in Malino,Bonto Bonto and Malakaji. "Flavicarpa" seedlines with Fusarium tolerance, and a Panama Red seedline, all sourced from Sumatra, have been distributed to farmer groups in Kanreapia and Tombolo Pao sub district.
All plantings in North West Australia established on DPI flavicarpa seedline (Australian industry standard stock) have succumbed to "short vine life" syndrome. The current suggested "flavicarpa" rootstock seedline is "Birdwood Brazilian" and a number of seed lots of this accession have been distributed in the NT and to the Ord Valley, WA. This accession, as a rootstock for Panama Red scions, is exhibiting good longevity and all vines grafted to this stock are growing well in the NT. While its early performance in the Ord Valley was encouraging many vines on "Birdwood Brazilian" have since died and collaborators there continue to screen other potential Passiflora rootstock accessions.
Objective 2: To improve continuity of quality pulp supply through the introduction of new germ-plasm in both lowlands and highlands of South Sulawesi and re-invigorate North West Australian "fresh" fruit production.
Early evaluation of new germplasm near Makassar indicates that there are germplasm that will flower and set fruit in the hot lowlands. These have been principally some "Flavicarpa" and Panama Red seed lines. Preliminary indications are that key phenology events are strongly linked with the monsoonal season and that harvest periods mirror upland "edulis" periods. Without additional irrigation into the Dry season alternative supply periods maybe difficult to achieve. However much of these plantings are less than 18 months old and as they mature a more clearer indication of key phenology events particularly flowering and harvest will emerge.
A method for micro-grafting of passionfruit has been developed. Cuttings of a range of Australian varieties were established in growth cabinets and subjected to high day time temperatures (36-38). Tips of heat treated plants were micro-grafted to virus free 'DPI' rootstocks. Of the 42 grafts there were 14 successful takes as identified by leaf shape a number of months after grafting, unfortunately polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing showed that these tips were infected with virus. There were two additional plants which were shown to be free of virus after PCR testing. However, when the plants had grown and leaves became fully expanded it was clear that the rootstock had grown away and that the micro-grafting had not been successful. The team acknowledge the assistance of Dave Spence, Principal Technical Officer, QDEEDI for development of micro-grafting.
Methods have been developed to study the distribution of viruses in tips of passionfruit. The method involves dissecting tips under a stereo-dissecting microscope into portions 1mm long, each portion is tested with PCR to establish if passionfruit viruses are present.
Objective 3: Develop supply chain models to meet long term market demand.
A key component of the supply chain model is stabilising "upland" edulis production via disease tolerant rootstocks. This component has been implemented and early plantings are only young, however it is encouraging that two selected "flavicarpa" rootstocks, that is "Medan" and "Bogor Gold", have consistently performed in Java and Sumatra under Fusarium wilt pressure. An older planting of "Bogor Gold" grafted to "edulis" purple is performing well in the highland region of Malakaji, South Sulawesi. These wilt resistant accessions should enhance vine longevity and hence production thus ensuring a more stable supply chain from traditional production areas.
A key supply chain initiative of the project has been the introduction of selected germplasm into lowland regions around Makassar, South Sulawesi. The rational being the potential for production periods counter to the traditional highland supply periods, thus ensuring processors have longer and consistent supply throughout large parts of a year. Again plantings of new germplasm are only young however early indications are that production periods will be strongly linked with the monsoonal season with harvest commencing in late November and peaking from December through to March/April. This will allow some extension of the current supply period but appears not as dramatic as would be hoped. The underlying environmental driver of this is clearly the monsoonal period and moisture availability.
The project is near completion and many former achievements are reported in project annual reports for 2008-9 and 2009-10. The final report is due in December 2011 and will contain detailed technical and scientific information.