Passion Fruit: Postharvest Handling Practices and Physiological Disorders
Fariborz Habibi, Ali Sarkhosh, Adrian D. Berry, andSteven Sargent
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is an economically valuable tropical fruit with increasing consumer demand due to its distinctive flavor, nutritional richness, and diverse industrial applications. In Florida, passion fruit cultivation holds strong potential because of the state’s favorable climate and the fruit’s high market value. However, as a climacteric fruit, its metabolic activity continues after harvest, making passion fruit highly perishable and prone to postharvest deterioration. This publication reviews the physiological characteristics, developmental stages, and maturity indices of passion fruit, emphasizing appropriate harvesting, handling, and storage techniques to maintain fruit quality and extend shelf life. This publication provides comprehensive insights to help growers, researchers, and industry professionals reduce losses, improve marketability, and enhance the profitability of passion fruit production in Florida.
