Plant Architecture Control in Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.)

• Grant number: 24/21985-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Carnier Dornelas
• Grantee: Richelmy Menezes Gutfreund
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cultivation of plants for the production of fruits, vegetables, and greens can be more or less efficient depending on the plant's architecture. Thus, the domestication process of cultivated plants involved the modification of the sprouting habit of apical and axillary buds, aiming to optimize the plant's body shape. One of the most important fruit species in Brazil is the sour passion fruit, Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg., a perennial plant with a climbing habit. Due to this liana-like behavior, the initial cost of establishing an orchard of this species is high, requiring the installation of posts and supports for the fixation of tendrils. The mechanisms that control the establishment of the liana growth habit are not well understood. However, studies with model plants suggest that plant hormones and genes from the TCP family may play an important role. Our hypothesis is that the modulation of growth habits is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. In this study, we will analyze the effects of exogenous application of gibberellin and cytokinin on the activity of axillary buds in juvenile P. edulis plants. Additionally, the TCP gene family will be identified in the P. edulis genome, and the expression patterns of these genes will be studied under hormonal treatments. Understanding the processes involved in the modulation of plant architecture in passion fruit can not only contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge but also offer new practical means to improve the productivity and sustainability of passion fruit cultivation.