Harnessing genomic resources for passion fruit improvement: Progress and prospects.

Abstract

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a highly nutritious horticultural crop cultivated widely across tropical and subtropical regions. Despite decades of breeding efforts that have led to the release of a few high-yielding cultivars, on-farm productivity remains suboptimal, and several existing cultivars are showing signs of declining vigor. To ensure the development of cultivars with stable and enhanced yields under both optimal and stress-prone conditions, there is a growing impetus to improve breeding efficiency. Integrating advanced genomics technologies into conventional breeding pipelines offers a promising path forward. Over the past decade, substantial genomic resources have been developed, including genome-wide markers, marker-trait associations, reference genomes, and resequencing datasets. Some of these tools are already being deployed in breeding programs to enhance yield and consumer-preferred traits. Emerging approaches such as genomic selection, speed breeding, and high-throughput phenotyping hold further potential to accelerate genetic gains. Realizing the full benefits of these tools will require strategic utilization of diverse and targeted genetic resources, coupled with streamlined cultivar delivery systems. Addressing the technical and operational bottlenecks that hinder the translation of genomic advances to field-ready cultivars will be key to securing the future of passion fruit improvement.