Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of foundation and leaf fertilization with micronutrients on fruit size and quality of pineapple cv. Vitória under the environmental conditions of the Baixo Acaraú irrigated perimeter in Northern Ceará State, Brazil, under two covers (bagana and black plastic) of the sandy soil of low fertility. The experimental design was a randomized split blocks one with four levels of soil dressing and four levels of foliar fertilization, with five replications. Micronutrient soil dressing was studied as FTE-12 at doses of 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1. The four levels of foliar fertilization were: LF0 (without fertilizer), LF 1 (15 leaf fertilization, using the amount of 1158.75 g Fe ha-1, 844.65 g Mn ha-1, 391.5 g ha-1 Zn, 322.65 g ha-1 Cu and 216 g ha-1 B), LF2 (15 leaf fertilization, using twice the quantities of level LF1) and LF3 (15 leaf fertilization, using three times the amount of level LF1). At 13 months after planting the micropropagated plantlets was carried out the floral induction treatment and five months later the fruit harvest determining the following variables: fruit weight and median diameter, soluble solids content (SS) and titratable acidity (TA). Both fruit weight and diameter increased with increasing doses of micronutrients applied to the soil and to the leaves, of plants grown both on bagana soil cover and plastic mulch. On the other hand fruit pulp quality was little affected by the treatments studied. There were a small increase of SS contents for plants grown on bagana soil cover and a small decrease of titratable acidity for those grown on plastic mulch, in both cases just in response to micronutrient foliar application.
Highlights
The nutritional status of the pineapple plants has a major influence on plant growth, and production and fruit quality (COELHO et al, 2007)
Both fruit weight and diameter were affected by micronutrients fertilizations done to the soil under the form of FTE and to the leaves, as well as by the interaction of these two factors studied (Table 1)
Fruit pulp quality expressed by the soluble solids and titratable acidity was little affected by the treatments studied
Summary
The nutritional status of the pineapple plants has a major influence on plant growth, and production and fruit quality (COELHO et al, 2007). To ensure good acceptance of the fruits in the consumer market, the producers try to raise the quality standards seeking to optimize their system of mineral fertilization. In studying the quality of pineapples, various physical and physical-chemical characteristics are evaluated, such as: fruit weight and diameter, soluble solids (SS) and titratable acidity (TA), among others. One of the requirements of the consumer market for pineapple is the fruit size. According to Coelho et al (2007), increases in average weight of the pineapple fruit can be obtained when plants are subjected to a proper mineral fertilization
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