Inducing resistance is an alternative to control of plants diseases. However, there are few studies relating the effect of these products on yield and physical and chemical fruit characteristics. The aim of this work was to evaluate diseases severity, fruit physical and chemical characteristics and yield of passion fruits plants treated with alternative products and foliar fertilizers. Cloned plants of passion fruit cultivar BRS Gigante Amarelo were sprayed at each fifteen days, during one year with water (control), Cuprozeb® (standard fungicide), acibenzolar-S-metil - ASM, Agro-mos®, potassium phosphite, fosetyl-Al, gypsun and CPAC-GE (product in test). Experimental design was randomized blocks with four repetitions and six useful plants per repetition. For analyzing the physical and chemical characteristics were utilized four repetitions of twenty fruits. Harvestings of fruits were made from November, 2008 to April, 2009. For analyzing the disease severities was utilized a diagrammatical grade scale. All products were efficient in reducing the severity of woodiness virus severity, fruit-scab and bacteriosis, excepting the Cuprozeb® that was not effective to control the woodiness virus. Neither product was effective to control of fruit anthracnose. The applications of gypsum (236,83 g), CPAC-GE (234,10 g), fosetyl-Al (233,79 g), potassium phosphite (230,64 g) and Agro-mos® (221,15 g) induced the higher fruit fresh mass. Similar results were observed to transversal diameter and fruit pulp weight. There were not effect of those products on fruit longitudinal diameter and peel thickness. Concerning to fruit chemical characteristics, excepting Cuprozeb®, all products increased juice soluble solids levels. Gypsum, Agro-mos®, fosetyl-Al and ASM increased the juice titratable acidity, but there were not alteration of juice pH. Concerning the yield, the higher quantities of fruits per plant were obtained with applications of potassium phosphite (162,38), gypsum (111,13) and CPAC-GE (102,50). The best fruit yields were induced by field applications of potassium phosphite (40,19 t/ha), gypsum (30,48 t/ha) and CPAC-GE (29,04 t/ha).
passion fruit plants; alternative disease control; systemic acquired resistance; induction of systemic resistance
