Passion fruit (Passiflorae edulis Sims) is the third most important fruit crop in Kenya after mango and avocadoin terms of foreign exchange earnings (Kahinga et al., 2006). Passion fruit is mainly grown by small-scalefarmers for subsistence and commercialisation and has a potential to alleviate of rural poverty. The purplepassion fruit is adapted to areas within 1200 to 2000 m above sea level. The major passion fruit growing areasare within Central (Thika, Muranga, Nyeri and Kirinyaga districts), Eastern (Embu and Meru Central districts),Rift Valley (Nakuru and Baringo districts), Western (Kitale, Bungoma, Kakamega districts), Nyanza (Kisiidistrict) and Coast (Taita-Taveta, Kwale and Kilifi districts) provinces. Most passion fruit is produced bysmall-scale farmers on ¼ to 2 acres of land (Wasilwa, et al., 2004). In 2005, the area under passion fruitproduction in Kenya was approximately 3,944 ha. About 32,551 tones valued at KES. 677,331, 955 wereexported (MOA, 2005). Recently, the passion fruit industry has been faced with production and marketingconstraints. Despite the economic importance of the crop in Kenya, the average yield is still relatively low(8ton ha-1) compared to about 18.9 ton ha-1 in South Africa, and 24 ton ha-1 in Australia (Morton, 1987).Diseases are the major passion fruit production constraints worldwide. The low productivity in Kenya ismainly due to diseases like brown spot (Alternaria passiflorae), Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum fsp.passiflorae) (Gardener, 1989) and woodiness virus caused by the aphid borne Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CoMV)and Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) operating synergistically (Brand, 1992). These diseases have reduced theproductive life of passion fruit from 5 to 2 years (Fushimi, et al., 2001). Yield losses of 40 to 100 percent dueto the above diseases have been reported (Wasilwa et al., 2004). The objectives were to identify and documentimpact of major diseases of passion fruit, to establish farmer knowledge on diseases and to identify areas ofintervention.
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