Xinjiang achieves open-field cultivation of passion fruit for first time

(ECNS) - Alar City in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has succeeded in cultivating passion fruit in an open field for the first time.

It mainly used greenhouses to cultivate tropical fruits in the past.

Liu Rong, an employee of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, began introducing passion fruit cultivation to Aral Shehri after being inspired by the significant profits earned from cultivating passion fruits in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

With instructions from experts at Tarim University, Liu adopted agricultural practices including drip irrigation under a film, organic cultivation, outdoor trellising, and fruiting on trellises.  

After three months of effort, the fruits weighed around 60 to 90 grams each. They will ripen by mid-August this year.

Benefiting from the abundant solar resources and fertile soil along Tarim River, Liu has cultivated passion fruits with an extended harvest season.

After the early bearing in August, the flowers will continue to bloom, and there will be another batch of fruit in September and October.

"The fruits harvested in August have a sweet and tangy taste with high sugar content. Those harvested in September and October are suitable for jam processing, which currently commands a market price of 16,000 to 18,000 yuan ($2240 -2520) per metric ton. The vines can be used to feed cattle and sheep," said Liu.

In Alar city, open-field cultivation of passion fruit is a new venture encouraged by the local government.

Liu plans to establish a cooperative next year and hopes to engage more people with diverse measures to contribute to local development.