Cultivation of Pineapple - Varieties, Propagation, Planting, Harvesting

1. Botanical name : Ananas comosus
Family : Bromeliacea
Origin : South America
Chromosome No. : 2n = 2x = 50
Bromelin enzyme is present in Pineapple (Proteolytic enzyme)
Production technology of Pineapple
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu -600117

2. Introduction
• Pineapple is herbaceous perennial, 90 to 100 cm in height with spreading leaves
which gives the plant a rosette appearance
• Plant bears a single fruit terminally on a peduncle
• Good source of vitamins A and B, pineapple is fairly rich in vitamins C, calcium,
magnesium, potassium and iron
• Average acid range lies between 0.5 and 1.0% and Total Soluble Solids (TSS)
between 12° and 16° Brix.
• It is also a source of bromelin, a digestive enzyme
• At present pineapple is grown commercially in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura,
Mizoram, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa, and on a small scale in
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh.

3. Origin and Distribution
• Origin of pineapple has been traced to Brazil
• Worldwide production started by 15th century
• Pineapple was distributed in Europe and the tropical regions of the world
• Most spread variety is Smooth Cayenne

4. Climate
• Pineapple is a crop of humid tropics
• Fruit grows well near the sea coast
• Optimum temperature for successful cultivation is 22°–32°C
• High temperature at night is deleterious and a difference of at least 4°C between
day and night temperatures is desirable
• It can be grown up to 1,100m above mean sea-level, if the area is frost-free
• Although optimum annual rainfall for its commercial cultivation is 100–150cm, it
grows remarkably well under a wide range of rainfall

5. Soil
• Plants come up well in any type of soil except on very heavy clay soil
• Sandy loam soils are ideal
• Soil should be 45–60cm in depth without hard pan or stones
• Low-lying areas with high water table should be avoided
• Plants prefer a soil pH of 5.0–6.0

6. • Ananas was considered the only genus including many cultivars but later, two genera viz.
Ananas and Pseudoananas
• Ananas bears a terminal crown and produces slips but no stolons
• Pseudoananas produces elongated stolons and no crown or slips
• Ananas is diploid having chromosome number 2n =2x= 50 and Pseudoananas is tetraploid
with 2n = 4x =100
• Current classification is given below:
Species
Ananas comosus var. ananassoides
Ananas comosus var. comosus
Ananas comosus var. erectifolius
Ananas comosus var. bracteatus
Ananas macrodontes
Ananas comosus var. parguazensis

7. 5 groups of pineapple varieties
1. Spanish Group
• Shape of the fruit is globose and have large deep set eyes with fruit ranging from
0.9-1.8 kg weight
• Leaves are spiny and the color of the rind is deep reddish-orange while the flesh
is pale-yellow to white
• Fruit have a spicy-acid taste and fibrous texture
• However, they are prone to gummosis despite being resistant to mealy bug and wilt
• Important varieties: Red Spanish, Singapore Spanish, Castilla and Cabezona

8. 5 groups of pineapple varieties
2. Queen Group
• Grown mainly for table purpose
• Fruit shape is conical with deep eyes and weigh around 0.5-1.1 kg
• They have yellow rind and the flesh is deep yellow in color
• They are low in fibre and sweet in taste
• Important cultivars: Queen, Natal, Ripley, Z Queen and Alexandria

9. 5 groups of pineapple varieties
3. Cayenne Group
• Suitable for canning, fruits have flat eyes and cylindrical in shape
• Rind is dark-orange in color and flesh is pale-yellow to yellow in color
• Fruits are sweet with low fiber content
• Fruit weighs around 2.3 kg on average
• Very susceptible to mealy bug and wilt
• Cultivars: Cayenne Lisse, Smooth Cayenne, Typhone, Smooth Guatemalan,
Esmeralda and St. Michael

10. 5 groups of pineapple varieties
4. Abacaxi Group
• Mostly grown in Brazil for domestic consumption
• Fruits are conical shape and weighs 1.4 kg
• They have yellow rind and pale yellow or white flesh which is sweet and juicy
• Cultivars: Abakka, Sugar Loaf, Amarella, Venezolana, Perola and Ananas
Vermelho

11. 5 groups of pineapple varieties
5. Maipure Group
• Fruits are cylindrical-ovoid in shape, 0.8-2.9 kg in weight and have a yellow to
dark orange rind with white or deep-yellow flesh
• Leaves are completely smooth and margins are folded over (known as piping)
• Cultivars: Maipure, Rondon, Perolera, Bumanguesa and Monte Liro

12. Varieties
• In international trade, the numerous pineapple (Ananas comosus) cultivars are
grouped in four main classes
1. Smooth Cayenne
2. Red Spanish
3. Queen
4. Abacaxi
• Kew, Mauritius and Queen are the commercially cultivated pineapple varieties in
Tamil Nadu

13. Smooth Cayenne or Cayenne (Maipuri, Kew, Sarawak,
Esmeralda, Saint Michel)
• Smooth Cayenne is extensively cultivated in Hawaii, Philippines, Australia,
South Africa, Kenya, Mexico
• Ovoid medium-sized fruit (1.5 to 2.5 kg) of short and strong peduncle
• It ripens progressively, turning yellow from the base to the top
• Flesh is pale-yellow to yellow colour at maturity
• Average acid range lies between 0.5 and 1.0% and total soluble solids (TSS)
between 12° and 16° Brix.
• Plant is a poor producer of shoots and slips

14. • Production cycle is longer than for most other cultivars
• Sensitive to many known pests (fruit borers, mites, mealybug, nematodes) and
diseases (wilt, fruitlet core rot, bud rot), and to internal browning
• However, it is considered tolerant to Phytophthora sp. and resistant to fruit
collapse, caused by Erwinia chrysanthemi
Smooth Cayenne or Cayenne (Maipuri, Kew, Sarawak,
Esmeralda, Claire, Typhoon, Saint Michel)

15. Kew
• It is a leading commercial variety valued particularly for canning
• Its fruits are big-sized (1.5–2.5kg), oblong
• Fruit with broad and shallow eyes becomes yellow when fully ripe
• Flesh is light yellow, almost fibreless and very juicy

16. Mauritius and Giant Kew
Mauritius
• It is a mid-season variety grown in some regions of Kerala and Meghalaya
• They come in two varieties and feature medium-sized fruit
• Yellow type have oblong, fibrous fruits which are green in color when mature but turns
deep yellow when ripe
• Red type are fibrous and sweeter than yellow variety and turn red when ripen
• Mauritius is recommended for commercial cultivation for table purposes and distant
marketing, due to better fruit quality, keeping quality and transportability
Giant Kew
• Cultivated in certain regions of West Bengal

17. Queen
• Widely grown in Tripura, and partly in Assam and Meghalaya, its fruits are rich
yellow in colour, weighing 0.9–1.3kg
• Flesh is deep golden-yellow, less juicy than Kew, crisp textured with a pleasant
aroma and flavour
• Leaves are brownish-red, shorter and very spiny

18. Vazhakulam pineapple
• Vazhakulam pineapple locally known as ‘Kannara’ belongs to Queen Cultivar
(Mauritius) suited for table purpose
• Average fruit weight is 1.3-1.6 kgs
• Fruit is having a pleasant aroma, have a slightly conical shape, fruit ‘eyes’ deeply
placed, fruit flesh is crisp and golden yellow in colour, juice is sweet with 14-16 o
brix and its acidity is 0.50 - 0.70%
• It is a good source of carotene, vitamins, minerals and energy

19. Vazhakulam pineapple

20. Amritha
• Hybrid between Kew and Ripley queen
• Developed in Pineapple Research Centre, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur
• Spiny leaves and 13-15 months duration
• Fruit is cylindrical, tapering slightly from near base, weighing 1.5-2.0kg
• Crown is small weighing 80- 100g
• Fruit is green when unripe and uniformly yellow when ripe
• Fruit is pale yellow in colour with rich aroma
• Taste is good with high TSS and low acidity

21. MD-2 or Dinar pineapple
• MD-2 is a hybrid pineapple released from Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii
• Standard for the international market because of its colour, flavour, shape,
lifespan and ripeness

22. Red Spanish
• Red Spanish is the most popular variety in West Indies, Venezuela and Mexico
• Good for canning
• Fruit is close to round in shape, orange-red from externally, have deep eyes, and
ranges from 1.36- 2.7 kg
• Flesh of the fruit is pale-yellow, fibrous, with a large core, and has aromatic
flavour
• Fruit becomes hard at maturity, breaks off easily during harvesting

23. Ornamental and baby pineapple
• Ornamental and baby pineapples are also very popular among the gardeners and
landscapers
• They have very beautiful flower heads and Multicolour foliage

24. Propagation
• Pineapple is propagated asexually from various plant parts
– Crowns
– Slips
– Suckers
• Crowns and slips are most common
• Suckers and slips should be preferred for planting as they come to bearing
earlier than the crown and produce larger fruits
• Tissue culture is used for rapid increase of strain selections

26. Propagation - Crowns
• Crowns are currently the preferred planting materials which are cut
from the fruit at harvest
• Crowns are dipped in fungicide and planted soon after harvest
• Crowns grow more slowly and are less drought resistant than slips but may
have the potential to develop better root system

27. Propagation - Slip
• Slips develop from buds in the axils of leaves borne on the peduncle
• Slips become visible on the peduncle when the fruit is about half developed
• Slips are broken from the peduncle, then cured or dipped in fungicide
• Slips may be stored in a dry place for up to one year, but they should be planted
within one month of harvest for best results
• Slips of 350-450g are considered suitable as planting material
• For Coorg (Karnataka) and Jorhat (Assam) slips weighing 301–400g are ideal
planting

28. • Suckers weighing 400-500g considered suitable as planting material
• Prior to planting curing of suckers for 8-10 days in shade is necessary as fresh
suckers planted in moist soil begin to decay
• Planting material should be treated with Carbendazim (0.1%) solution to protect
against mealy bugs and heart rot
• For Coorg (Karnataka) and Jorhat (Assam) suckers 501–750g are ideal planting
• Suckers weighing 501–1000g is the best material for Thrissur (Kerala)
Propagation - Suckers

29. • Pineapple is generally planted in double hedge system for better intercultural
operations.
• A spacing of about 90 cm x 30 cm x 60 cm is recommended for a planting density
of 44,000 plants per hectare.
• The other spacing adopted are 120cm x 60 cm x 40cm for 41,600 plants/ha
• 75cm x 30cm x 30xm for 63,000 plants/ha
• 60cm x 30cm x 45cm for 64,000 plants/ha
Planting

30. Planting
• The planting method varies depending upon the topography of land, rainfall and
drainage
• There are five planting methods in practice, viz.,
✓ Raised bed or ridge (in paddy lands, poorly drained soils or high rainfall areas)
✓ Flatbed (in soils with assured drainage)
✓ Furrow (in areas with good drainage or poor rainfall)
✓ Trench (in rainfed areas with water scarcity)
✓ Contour planting (in hilly areas or sloppy lands)

31. Pure cropping
• Suckers are planted at 90 cm width in rows / strips, leaving the interspaces undisturbed.
• Planting is done in paired rows of 70 cm distance between rows and 30 cm within the
row
• Suckers may be planted in triangular method in the paired rows
• Interspace between the paired rows is kept at 150-170 cm
• Contour planting may be adopted in sloppy areas
Planting

32. Intercropping in coconut garden
• There can be three-paired rows in between two rows of coconut.
Planting

33. Intercropping in rubber plantations
• System of planting is in paired rows at 70 x 30 cm
• There will be only one paired row of pineapple in between two rows of rubber
Planting

34. • Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Bangalore
• Two row trench system - Spacing of 22.5cm x 60cm x 75cm was found best for a
plant density of 63,000 plants per ha in semi-arid moderate tropical regions
• Spacing of 25cm x 60cm x 90cm with plant density of 53000 plants per ha is ideal
for hot, humid tropical areas
• Yield also increased upto almost 70-105 t/ha, which was 45-85 t/ha more than the
conventional planting densities
High-density planting

35. High-density planting

36. Manuring and fertilization
• Pineapple is a shallow feeder with high N and K requirement.
• FYM 40-50 t/ha, N 16 g, P 4 g and K 12 g/plant in two equal splits at 6th and 12th
month after planting
• Apply as foliar spray 0.5% - 1.0 % sulphate of Zinc and Ferrous solutions at 15
days interval to overcome the deficiencies in the early crop phase.

37. Removal of suckers, slips and crowns
• Suckers start growing with the emergence of inflorescence, whereas slips grow with the
developing fruits
• Fruit weight increases with increasing number of suckers/plant, while the increased
number of slips delay fruit maturity
• Hence desuckering can be delayed as much as possible, while the slips are recommended
to be removed as soon as they attain the size required for planting
• Removal of crown is not required as it mars the appeal of the fruit and also makes
handling difficult
• Partial pinching of crown consisting of the removal of the innermost whorl of leaflets
along with growing tips 45 days after fruit set is ideal to get fruits of better size and
shape

38. Mulching
• It is essential to conserve soil moisture
• Mulching is not a common practice in India, use of dry leaves or straw is in practice
in south India
• Mulching with black polythene and saw-dust results in better growth of plants than
white polythene and paddy-straw.

39. Earthing up
• This is an essential operation in pineapple cultivation aimed at good anchorage to
the plants.
• As its roots are very shallow, the plants are eventually lodged especially under flat-
bed planting in heavy rainfall areas.
• Lodging of plants at the time of fruit development results in lopsided growth,
uneven development and ripening of fruits.
• It is more important in ratoon crop as the base of ratoon plants shifts up, crop after
crop.
• High-density planting minimizes its necessity as the plants prop each other
preventing lodging.

40. Growth regulators
• Application of NAA and NAA-based compounds-Planofix and Celemone @10–
20ppm -induces flowering in pineapple
• Flowering in pineapple Kew could be induced with the application of Ethephon or
ethrel (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) (100ppm).
• Concentration of Ethephon could be reduced to 25ppm by combining it with
2% urea and 0.04% sodium carbonate
• Flower induction should be done when the plants attain at least 35–40 functional
leaves, so that the plants produce fruits of normal size

41. • Application of NAA (200–300ppm) 2–3 months after fruit set increases 15–20%
fruit size.
• Using suckers and slips of different sizes and crowns as planting material and
applying flower-inducing chemicals also provide its availability round the year.
Month Growth regulators & Concentration
September-January N AA 10 ppm ( PIanofix 1 ml/4.5 litres of water)
March-May Ethrel 10 ppm (2.5 ml/100 litres of water) + 2% urea + 0.04% sodium
carbonate
All months Ethrel 25 ppm (6.5 ml/100 litres of water) + 2% urea + 0.04% sodium
carbonate.
Growth regulators

42. Physiological disorders
Multiple Crowns
• Ordinarily fruit bears a single crown but in some cases
fruit bears more than one. Consequently the top of the
fruit will be flat and broad and fruit will be unfit for
canning
• Such fruits taste insipid and are corky. It is supposed to
be a heritable character (found mostly in Cayenne group
to which the variety Kew belongs).

43. Fruit and Crown Fasciation
• Fasciated fruits are deformed to such an extent that they are totally useless
• In certain cases, proliferation is so extreme that fruit is highly flattened and twisted
with innumerable crowns.
• Fruit and crown fasciation is associated with high vigour of plants, which take
longer time to flower
• High fertility of soil, warm weather and calcium or zinc deficiency may favour
fasciation

44. Collar of Slips
• Collar of slips is typified by the presence of a large number of slips arising from
stem close to the base of the fruit, or even directly from the fruits itself.
• The excessive slip growth is at the expense of the fruit, resulting in small, tapered
fruits
• High nitrogen fertilization and high rainfall along with relatively low
temperature are supposed to be congenial for such an abnormality

45. Sun-Scald/ Sun burn
• This results when plant leans or falls over to one side, thus exposing one side of the fruit
to direct sunlight.
• Cells of the exposed surface get damaged
• Later shell surface brownish to black colour and cracks may appear between fruitlets.
• Affected fruits soon rot and become infested with pests.
• In high-density planting, intensity of sun-scald is very much minimised.
• Under favourable climate where leaf growth is luxuriant, leaves can be tied around the
fruits to protect them from sun-scald
• During summer months it is necessary to protect the fruits from scorching sun by putting
dried grasses, coconut or arecanut leaves to prevent sunburn

46. Harvesting
• Fruits can be harvested from 18 to 24 months after planting
• Slight colour change at the base of the fruit indicates maturity
• Pineapple plants flower 10–12 months after planting and fruits become ready
15–18 months after planting
• Irregular flowering results in the harvesting spread over a long period. Under
natural conditions, pineapple comes to harvest during May–August
• Fruits which mature in winter are acidic

47. Yield
• Yield of pineapple fruit varies with the variety, agroclimate, agrotechniques and planting
density
• An average of 50 t/ha can be harvested from well-maintained pineapple orchard
• One plant crop and two ratoon crops are normally practiced in most of varieties
and in Mauritius variety up to five crops can be taken
• Plant crop after harvest can be retained as ratoon crop for two more years
• Suckers retained should be limited to one or two per mother plant
• Excess suckers and slips if any should be removed
• Earthing up should be done
• Other management practices are same as for the plant crop

48. Grading
• After harvesting, the fruits are graded according to size, shape, maturity, and
freedom from diseases and blemishes
• Cut surface is treated with a suitable fungicide to control fungal decay
Class Weight (g)
A above 1500
B 1100 - 1500
C 800 - 1100
D 550 - 800
Baby Less than 550

49. Packaging
• For local markets, fruits are packed in bamboo baskets lined with paddy-straw
• First layer of fruits is arranged in such a way that they stand on their stumps
• Second layer of fruits is arranged on the crowns of the first layer fruits
• Each basket weighs 20-25 kg
• For distant markets, fruit are wrapped individually with paddy straw and then
packed
• For export purpose the pineapples are packed into fibreboard or wood containers
• Interspace between the fruits should be filled with straw and firm lining all around
the container
• For long-distance transportation, fruits are held at 7°C for 10-20 days

50. Storage
• In tropical areas, partially ripe, healthy and unbruised pineapple could be stored for
almost 20 days when refrigerated at 10-130C with RH 85-90%
• Fruits harvested in early stage of ripening are stored at 7-10°C
• Exposure of pineapples to temperatures below 7°C results in chilling injury
• Controlled atmosphere storage (3-5% O2 and 5-8% CO2) delayed senescence and
reduced respiration