The passion fruit is among the main fruit crops cultivated in Brazil. The propagation is predominantly by seeds. Seeds with good quality should be collected at adequate development stage, which can be established according to the fruit maturity stage. The aim of this work was to verify the influence of the fruit maturity stage and the post-harvest storage in the germination and initial development of the seedlings of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa). The work was carried out in the Federal University of Viçosa (MG), Brazil. The seeds used were extracted of fruits in three fruit maturity stages (stage 1 - green beginning to alter its fruit epidermis coloration to yellow; stage 2 - fruit with 5 until 50% yellow epidermis coloration and stage 3 - fruit with more than 50% yellow epidermis coloration), and four post-harvest storage periods (0, 3, 6 and 9 days) at room temperature. After, the seeds were sowed in plastic boxes with fine washed sand. The experiment was designed in completely randomized blocks, in a factorial 3 x 4 (maturity stage x post-harvest storage period), with four replications, where each plot was constituted by 50 seeds. It was concluded that, the yellow passion fruit seeds should be extracted at the fruit maturity stages 2 or 3. For the development process of the yellow passion fruit seedlings it was recommended to store the fruits during 3 to 6 days before the seeds extraction.
Passiflora edulis; yellow passion fruit; maturity stage
