Meshes made with quality wire prevent passion fruit seedlings from being trampled

Brazil is the world's largest producer of passion fruit. Around 70% of the fruit consumed across the planet comes from Brazilian lands. According to Embrapa's Technology Transfer division, the average passion fruit productivity in the country is around 14 tons per hectare, but this can vary from producer to producer. “Brazilians also consume this fruit with a strong flavor, which is also used in the cosmetics industry. Passion fruit is native to the tropical zones of America, which makes the plant extremely adaptable to the Brazilian climate”, explains Rober Casaril, agricultural engineer and Market Analyst at Belgo Bekaert, a reference company in the Brazilian wire market.

According to Embrapa, Bahia is the largest producer and there are around 50 thousand producers spread across the national territory. A significant part of passion fruit production comes from family farming and the activity generates around R$1 billion per year. “There are technical producers who achieve around 5 tons per hectare, sometimes even more. The result can increase depending on the level of technology used in production”, highlights Casaril.

The Belgo specialist explains that passion fruit seedlings are fragile and, when grown outside of greenhouses – which is common in Brazil – they run the risk of being trampled. To avoid this problem, one of the most used resources is specific fencing for the activity, with wires suitable for the crop.

Belgo Bekaert offers solutions for this type of recurring challenge in passion fruit and other fruit cultivation. To support the plant's branches, it is recommended to construct a wire mesh, such as that used in vines, with heavy galvanized wire. The suggestion is Belgo Frutifio, extremely resistant to corrosive agents. To anchor the mesh, the company recommends the Belgo Parreiral 3-strand cordage and the Belgo Cordaço 7-strand cordage.

To support the sides of the meshes, specialist Rober Casaril's recommendation is to use wooden or concrete posts with an external height of approximately 1,80 m to 2,00 meters and 1 meter deep. The agricultural engineer reinforces that to support the sides of the structures, a rope is needed that can withstand the upper load. In this case, the recommendation is Belgo Cordaço, a 7-strand cord, which absorbs all the tension and weight of production. “Its resistance is greater than 2.500 kgf”, adds Rober Casaril.

“The structure of the plant with more resistant wires helps fruit growers save money, as the products have high durability in field conditions, reducing maintenance costs and new vineyard installations”, he concludes.