NUTRITION

The naranjilla is rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals. ⁵ It is said to contain pepsin, the stomach enzyme that aids digestion of proteins.

AGRONOMY

The plant is propagated by seeds, cuttings, or grafts onto the rootstock of other species. Seeds germinate freely. Cuttings root easily, especially when parts of older, slightly woody stems are used. Like many members of the Solanaceae, it can also be regenerated in tissue culture from pieces of leaf or stem tissue.

The plant grows rapidly. Seedlings begin bearing in 6–12 months; grafted plants mature even faster, flowering at 3–4 months of age and maturing fruits at 6 months. In principle, this perennial could continue bearing for years, but in the Andes and Central America plantings usually succumb to root-knot nematodes after about 4 years.