PINEAPPLE GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND

Smooth Cayenne pineapple tops were planted at six two-monthly intervals in southeast Queensland.
Within each planting, flowering was induced at 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 months of age.
Plants were taken from each time/age combination at regular intervals for assessment of growth, and plant crop fruit were harvested.
Season was a stronger influence on fruit mass at harvest than was plant mass at induction.
Spring fruit (harvested September) were the heaviest (2.1±0.4 kg) and early summer fruit (December) the lightest (1.4±0.2 kg). Plants of mean mass 4.8±0.1 kg at induction produced fruit of mean mass 1.4±0.2 kg and plants of 2.2±0.1 kg produced fruit of 2.1±0.3 kg.
Season also strongly influenced the period from induction to harvest (185±4 days for induction in October to 283±6 days for induction in April). Monthly plant growth rates were extremely variable.
The trial indicated relationships between leaf area and green leaf wet mass, and between sucker wet mass and sucker length.

I International Pineapple Symposium

E.R. Sinclair

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.334.17