The purpose of this work was to evaluate different planting densities of plants over yield characteristics, fruit quality and economical performance of yellow passion fruit. The experiment was carried out in São Tiago county, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The treatments used different plants density in the planting row: T1 = 1.0 m (3,330 plants/ha); T2 = 2.0 m (1,660 plants/ha); T3 = 3.0 m (1,110 plants/ha); T4 = 4.0 m (830 plants/ha); T5 = 1.0 m (3,330/1,660 plants/ha) T6 = 1.5 m (2,220/1,110 plants/ha) e T7 = 2.0 m (1,660/830 plants/ha). The treatments T5, T6 and T7, were hewed alternately right after the first crop's harvest. The highest yield was 11.9 t ha-1 in the planting density of 1,841 plants/ha in its first crop, it was about 10.9 t ha-1 average in its second crop and 5.46 t ha-1 in its third crop. The total yield was less in the lower density planting (830 plants/ha), 25.6 t ha-1, and an average of 27.96 t ha-1 for the others treatments. The average fruit weight did not change with planting density, except in the second crop that gave larger fruit in the denser planting. Planting density did not alter fruit quality. The average of the three crops for quality characteristics were: fruit average weight (126 g); juice yield (34.9%); total solid soluble (14.6%) and total acidity titratable (4.9%). The most economical efficiency reached was in planting density of 1,110 plants/ha.
Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.; yield; quality
