Biometrics and physiological parameters of sour passion fruit seedlings produced on organic substrates

The organic fruit market has expanded considerably in recent years, but for the establishment of more productive organic orchards, several aspects need to be studied, starting with obtaining good quality seedlings. In this work, different formulations of organic substrates were evaluated to select the one that provides greater vigor to Passiflora edulis Sims seedlings. The study was conducted under anti-aphid screen conditions in two regions of Bahia (Recôncavo da Bahia, Chapada Diamantina), using a completely randomized design. The substrates were prepared using different proportions of coconut fiber, vermiculite, bovine manure and bokashi. At 60 days after sowing, germination vigor, gas exchange and growth parameters were evaluated. The data were submitted to principal component analysis and the groups formed were represented by box plots and compared by the Tukey test. Three groups were formed from PCA for the seedlings produced in both regions and the joint analysis, considering the two environments. In Chapada Diamantina, the seedlings produced in group 1, corresponding to 40% of the substrates tested, stood out for their root characteristics. In Recôncavo da Bahia, the seedlings showed low variation between the treatments G1C and G2C (80% substrates), compared to the G3C seedlings. The best performance was observed in the seedlings produced in Chapada Diamantina, but the use of coconut fiber and soil (CfSB), vermiculite and soil (SVB), both with 5% bokashi, produced excellent seedlings in both regions, so it is recommended for the organic production of P. edulis