Evaluation of the Summer Queen Passion Fruit in Bhutan
Pema Yangdon, Mandira Acharja, Kinzang Wangmo, Thinley Gyeltshen, Tshering Penjor, Ngawang Yeshi, Nangsel Tshomo and Chandra Kumar Monger
https://doi.org/10.55925/btagr.26.9103
ABSTRACT
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is valued for its rich nutritional profile and increasing global demand for both fresh consumption and juice processing. In Bhutan, only the local purple variety has been released for commercial cultivation; however, its small fruit size, low pulp, and limited juice content constrain its consumption as a table fruit and industrial utility. The establishment of Bhutan Agro Industries Limited in Lingmethang has further intensified the demand for passion fruit underscoring the need for improved varieties. To address this gap, the hybrid cultivar ‘Summer Queen’, a cross between purple and yellow passion fruit introduced from Japan, was evaluated across three research centres (Agriculture Research and Development Centre, Wengkhar, Bajo, and Samtenling) representing diverse agroecological zones. A trial established in 2022 used a Completely Randomized Design with three replications to compare Summer Queen with the local variety. Data on fruit and yield traits, including fruit weight, dimensions, total soluble solids (TSS), pulp content, juice content, number of fruits per vine, and yield per vine, were analysed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test in R software. Results consistently demonstrated the superiority of Summer Queen, which produced significantly larger fruits, higher pulp and juice content, and greater yields per vine across locations. On average, Summer Queen yielded 10.7 kg per vine, with 16.3% TSS and 16.8 ml juice per fruit, representing a five-fold increase in yield compared to the local variety. Although agroecological factors influenced specific traits such as fruit size, pulp content, TSS, and juice recovery, Summer Queen outperformed the local variety under both low and mid-elevation conditions, highlighting its adaptability and commercial potential for both fresh consumption and processing. In recognition of its superior performance, Summer Queen was officially released for commercial cultivation during the 27th Variety Release Committee meeting.
Keywords: Summer Queen; TSS; Yield; Juice content; Processing