Pineapple Yield Research Articles

Training and Educating of Pineapple Farmers in Producing Organic Fertilizer Using The Bio-EM4 Application Technology in Lendang Nangka Utara Village, Masbagik, East Lombok

The aim of this community service activity is to train and mentor farmers to produce organic fertilizer from cattle pen waste to create a village community that is self-sufficient in meeting the fertilizer needs for its pineapple farming business. The activity used a participatory action method, which was carried out for 19 months. The results of the activities show that the implementation of the activities ran smoothly and successfully. Farmers' participation and enthusiasm, which was previously moderate, turned out to be increased to high after implementing direct assistance in the field. Farmers' knowledge and skills are increasing as evidenced by the fertilizer produced based on SNI standards which is classified as good quality. Organic fertilizer produced by farmers can be used as a substitute for Urea, ZK and TSP fertilizer because application of a dose of 25 tons ha-1 plus NPK Ponska dose of 100 kg ha-1 can balance the growth and yield of pineapple in plots fertilized with NPK dose of 500 kg ha-1 . So the recommended application dose for organic fertilizer produced by this program is 25 tons ha-1 plus NPK Ponska 100 kg ha-1 with the application time after soil processing.

Impact of the Combination of Chemical and Organic Fertilization on the Growth and Yield of Pineapple under Two Shade Net Conditions

The use of organic sources presents itself as a viable alternative to mitigate the excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers in agricultural practices. However, in the realm of pineapple cultivation, research exploring the synergy between chemical and organic fertilizers remains scarce. In this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of the combination of chemical and organic fertilizers on the growth and yield of the MD-2 pineapple cultivar under two shade net conditions (installed 45 and 250 days after planting). The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design, with the main plot being the shade net conditions and the sub-plots the five fertilization treatments, which were applied 18 times via drip irrigation (control, 100% chemical fertilization, 50% reduced chemical fertilization, organic fertilization, and a combination of 50% chemical fertilization with organic fertilization). The results showed that the early installation of shade netting 45 days after planting decreases the growth and yield of pineapple; thus, the use of shade netting at this age is not recommended. Regarding fertilization, the combination of 50% chemical fertilization with organic fertilization showed similar growth and yield values compared to 100% conventional chemical fertilization under both shade net conditions. Furthermore, this combination presented similar nitrate and potassium values in the plant and did not negatively affect malic acid content. Therefore, the use of organic fertilizers in pineapple cultivation is a promising strategy to reduce the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, and it could also improve soil fertility.

Cold Pressed vs. Centrifugal Juice: Comparison in Terms of the Juice Yield, Physicochemical and Phytochemical Properties

In this study, a juice beverage was prepared from pineapple, green apple, and kiwifruit using cold press and centrifugal juice extraction methods. In the first stage, the most preferred beverage formulation (60% pineapple, 35% green apple, and 5% kiwifruit) was selected according to the acceptance index (AI) calculated based on sensory analysis scores. Next, the performance of home-type cold-pressed juicers (CPJ) and centrifugal juicers (CDJ) was compared, considering the physical, chemical, and phytochemical properties of the mixed beverage. It has been determined that the juice yield performance of the cold pressing technique is better than the centrifuge method. For example, the juice yield of pineapple obtained by a cold press juicer (92%) was found to be higher than the centrifugal extraction method (47%). Although the pH of CDJ and CPJ beverages were similar, the total soluble solids content (°Brix), the color parameters (a*, b*, L*), the browning index (BI), and the turbidity of both beverages were significantly different. While the browning index (BI), L*, and b* values of the CPJ beverage were higher, the a* value was lower than that of the CDJ beverage. Additionally, the CPJ juice mixture was more turbid and phase separation was not observed as in the CDJ beverage. This study revealed that juices obtained by both squeezing methods contained comparable total phenolic content (TPC). For example, the amount of TPC for CPJ and CDJ was 867.25 ± 0.01 mg GAE/L and 922 ± 0.01 mg GAE/L, respectively. Furthermore, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of both beverages was not significantly different. It was concluded that the physical properties of juices extracted by CPJ were more satisfactory than those of CDJ. However, more studies are needed to compare the data obtained on the antioxidant activity and TPC amount of fruit juices using different measurement methods.

Effect of pineapple waste biochar and compost application on the growth and yield of pineapple varieties in Ghana

IntroductionBiochar is one of the commonly used soil amendments for sustainable agriculture. The effect of biochar on crop yields depends on the quality of the biochar, which is influenced by feedstock type and pyrolysis conditions. Sole application of pineapple waste biochar and compost, and their combination has not been rigorously investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of pineapple waste biochar and compost applied solely or in combination on growth and yield of pineapple on a coastal savanna Acrisol in Ghana.MethodsThe split-plot design with three replications was used, with pineapple varieties as the main plot and fertilizer application rates as the sub-plots.Results and discussionThe results showed that sole application of biochar and compost or their combination as a soil amendment increased pineapple growth and yield as compared to the unamended soil. Biochar applied in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertilizer significantly increased plant height and the number of leaves of pineapple plant, which resulted in improved fruits yield of the three (sugar loaf, MD2 and smooth cayenne) pineapple varieties at maturity over control, sole application of biochar, compost and inorganic NPK fertilizer. The Smooth cayenne variety outperformed MD2 and Sugar loaf variety.ConclusionIn conclusion, the results revealed that biochar applied solely or in addition to compost or inorganic NPK fertilizer has the capability to enhance soil quality and improve pineapple yield. Application of biochar in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK improves pineapple growth and yield.

SFHG-YOLO: A Simple Real-Time Small-Object-Detection Method for Estimating Pineapple Yield from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The counting of pineapple buds relies on target recognition in estimating pineapple yield using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography. This research proposes the SFHG-YOLO method, with YOLOv5s as the baseline, to address the practical needs of identifying small objects (pineapple buds) in UAV vision and the drawbacks of existing algorithms in terms of real-time performance and accuracy. Field pineapple buds are small objects that may be detected in high density using a lightweight network model. This model enhances spatial attention and adaptive context information fusion to increase detection accuracy and resilience. To construct the lightweight network model, the first step involves utilizing the coordinate attention module and MobileNetV3. Additionally, to fully leverage feature information across various levels and enhance perception skills for tiny objects, we developed both an enhanced spatial attention module and an adaptive context information fusion module. Experiments were conducted to validate the suggested algorithm's performance in detecting small objects. The SFHG-YOLO model exhibited significant gains in assessment measures, achieving mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 improvements of 7.4% and 31%, respectively, when compared to the baseline model YOLOv5s. Considering the model size and computational cost, the findings underscore the superior performance of the suggested technique in detecting high-density small items. This program offers a reliable detection approach for estimating pineapple yield by accurately identifying minute items.

Minimizing Carbon Dioxide Emissions with Clinoptilolite Zeolite in Moris Pineapple Cultivation on Drained Sapric Soils

Drained tropical peat soils for agriculture emit more carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere from their stored carbon compared with their pristine state. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to assess whether the natural zeolite of the clinoptilolite (ZeoC) species could be included in the pineapple fertilization program to decrease the CO2 emissions from tropical sapric soils. The static closed-chamber and laboratory incubation methods were used to determine the effects of ZeoC on the CO2 emitted from a drained sapric soil planted with Moris pineapple. The treatments assessed were as follows: (a) suggested ratio of ZeoC (5 g, 10 g, 14 g, and 20 g of ZeoC) and 20 g compound NPK 30:1:32 fertilizer, enumerated based on the pineapple plant requirement; (b) 20 g of compound NPK 30:1:32 fertilizer only; and (c) unfertilized sapric soils. The drained sapric soils amended with ZeoC (rate of 5 g to 20 g/plant) minimized the CO2 emissions compared with those without the ZeoC, because of the physical and chemical sorption of organic compounds and polar CO2 onto the lattices of ZeoC, which inhibited organic matter decomposition. ZeoC fertilization reduces sapric soil acidity and improves Moris pineapple fruit quality attributes and yield. Monthly pineapple fertilization with ZeoC at the vegetative and flowering phases is an alternative agronomic strategy to reduce CO2 emissions. This approach does not reduce pineapple yield on drained tropical sapric soils.

Determinants of Training Need of the Pineapple Growers for Boosting Production in Hilly Areas of Sreemangal Upazila Under Moulvibazar District

Training is a tool to increase production both vertically and horizontally through enhanced skills of the farmers. The focus of the study was to determine and describe the training need of the pineapple growers in a hilly area of Sylhet region and explores the relationship between the selected characteristics of growers and training need. Data were collected from randomly selected 75 pineapple growers out of 228 of three unions namely Sreemangal, Ashidron, and Sindhurkhan of Sreemangal upazila under Moulvibazar district using a pre-tested interview schedule from 1 September to 2 October 2020. Through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the growers, a total of 12 different aspects of pineapple cultivation were identified as inadequately skilled for modern pineapple cultivation. For quantification of training need, each respondent was asked to answer the extent of training need against each of those aspects. Results revealed that most of the pineapple growers (58.7%) had medium training need while 29.3% had high and only 12.0% had low training need. The top five training need aspects of pineapple cultivation were appropriate amount and time of fertilizer application, modern method of insect–pest identification and control, soil moisture conservation technique, and preventive measure of fruit sunburn. Correlation analysis indicated that age (-0.272*), educational (-0.526**), annual income (-0.269*), experience of pineapple cultivation (-0.455**), knowledge about pineapple cultivation (-0.807**), training received (-0.558**), and use of information source (-0.331**) were found negatively significant with their training need. Extension service providers should come forward to facilitate access of need-based information and skills to the pineapple growers or at least do their best alternative based on resource allocation for improvement of yield and production of pineapple in the hilly areas of Sylhet region.

Organic and Slow-Release Fertilizer Substitution Strategies Improved the Sustainability of Pineapple Production Systems in the Tropics

The partial substitution of chemical nitrogen fertilizers with organic fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer could improve pineapple yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the effect of organic and slow-release fertilizer substitution strategies on the carbon footprint (CF), nitrogen footprint (NF) and net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) from pineapple fields in the tropics remains largely unclear. Therefore, we conducted a long-term pineapple field trial (2017–2021) for the first time with five fertilization strategies (CK: no fertilizer; F: conventional fertilization(nitrogen (N) 817 kg ha−1, phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) 336 kg ha−1, potassium oxide (K2O) 945 kg ha−1); RF: reduction of 41.7% N, 72.0% P2O5 and 33.1% K2O on an F basis; RFO: replacement of 20% N input with organic fertilizer on an RF basis; RFOS: replacement of 15% N input with slow-release fertilizer on an RFO basis) to identify the pineapple fruit yield, NUE, CF, NF and NEEB in the tropics. The results showed that in comparison to the F treatment, the RF, RFO and RFOS treatments improved pineapple yield (7.6%, 12.4% and 26.3%, respectively), NUE (66.4%, 75.5% and 87.7%, respectively, p < 0.05) and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) fertilizer (84.8%, 92.8% and 116.7%, respectively, p < 0.05). Additionally, of all the treatments, the RFOS treatment had the highest yield (87.8 t ha−1). N leaching (50.1–69.1%) and ammonia volatilization (21.6–26.2%) were the two primary routes for reactive nitrogen (Nr) loss. The field soils (36.8–45.7%) and N fertilizer production and transportation (21.2–29.5%) dominated the GHG emissions. Compared to the F treatment, the RF, RFO and RFOS treatments showed decreases in Nr losses, NF, GHG emissions and CF of 36.6–41.1%, 43.3–51.9%, 19.0–29.1% and 24.5–41.7%, respectively. Of all the treatments, the RFOS treatment had the lowest CF (191.8 kg CO2eq ha−1 season) and NF (1.9 kg N t−1 season). Additionally, the NEEB of the RF, RFO and RFOS treatments improved by 13.0–39.9% over that of the F treatment. The RFOS treatment (54,880 USD ha−1) resulted in the highest NEEB of all treatments. Therefore, the substitution of conventional inorganic fertilizers with organic and slow-release fertilizers is an effective method for achieving sustainable pineapple production. However, a process for further reducing GHG emissions from farmland soils and Nr losses from organic fertilizer addition still need attention in terms of pineapple production.

Weed species composition of different peat areas under pineapple plantation in Muar, Johor.

Weeds is the biggest challenge for pineapple production as competing for natural properties such as nutrient, water, sunlight, shelter and others which provided for the pineapple and also act as a host for pest attack. Improper weed management could cause severe weed infestation and reduce pineapple yield specifically in peat soils compared to mineral soils. Peat soils has excellent moisture holding, aeration and physical characteristics for weed germination. Since weed germination was influenced by agronomic changes, this study was conducted to examine weed species composition infested peat soils due to very limited study pertaining this issue. Study was carried out at three different peat areas of pineapple fields in Mukim Ayer Hitam, Muar, Johor. Experiment was done according to the quantitative survey method by using standardized quadrat. Surveying was done several weeks upon herbicides spraying. Broadleaves dominated peat areas compared to grasses, sedges and ferns at all sampling locations. Asystasia gangetica was found as most dominant weed species recorded more than 40% in peat soil regardless the surveyed locations. Asystasia gangetica adapted well in peat soil due to creeping root that remain robust. Proper documentation of dominant weed species infested pineapple plantation particularly in peat soil will be the key tool for sustainable weed management.

Partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer benefits soil microbial diversity and pineapple fruit yield in the tropics

The partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer is an effective approach for improving crop yield and soil quality. However, few studies have paid close attention to pineapples in the tropics. Here, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to elucidate the differences in pineapple rhizosphere soil microorganisms, bulk soil chemical characteristics, and pineapple fruit yield under different fertilization treatments (CK: no fertilizer application; FP: conventional chemical fertilizer application; OPT: reduced chemical fertilizer application; OPTO: based on OPT, with organic fertilizer replacing 20 % of nitrogen (N); OPTS: based on OPTO, with slow-release fertilizer replacing 15 % of N), and the links between soil microorganisms and soil chemical properties and pineapple fruit yield were analyzed. Compared with FP, OPT, OPTO and OPTS treatments significantly increased bulk soil pH and organic matter (OM) content while reducing the amount of available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+); in addition, they also highly increased the bacterial diversity index and pineapple yield (P < 0.05). It was found that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria were the four major bacterial phyla (relative abundances >10 %) in all treatments, while Ascomycota was the main phylum of fungi. Specifically, the OPTS treatment increased the abundance of Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Basidiomycota but decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Ascomycota. Correlation analysis found that bulk soil pH, OM, AP, AK, NO3− and NH4+ levels were all important factors influencing the formation of the rhizosphere soil microbial community. Overall, the OPTS treatment resulted in relatively high soil nutrient content, microbial diversity and the number of beneficial microorganisms, which increased pineapple yield. Therefore, OPTS can be used as a high-yield and sustainable fertilization method for pineapple.

Influence of Some Plant Growth Regulators on Quality Attributes of Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.)

Aims: A trial was conducted to investigate the influence of plant growth regulators on the growth and quality attributes of pineapple fruits.&#x0D; Study Design: The experiment was arranged in a randomized completed block design (RBCD) with three replications using 25 plants per replication.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out between 2020 and 2021 at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Aignia, Bhubaneswar, India.&#x0D; Methodology: The application of PGRs i.e. naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), gibberellic acid (GA), and brassinosteroid (BR) was done at the flower initiation stage. Only water application is done in case of control. Fruits were harvested at the ripe stage and an analysis of different growth and quality parameters were done.&#x0D; Results: The application of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and gibberellic acid (GA) significantly improved the yield and quality attributes of pineapple. Application of NAA 200 mgL-1 (T3) was found to be the most effective in enhancing absolute growth rate (2.65 g day-1), fruit weight (1.58 kg), and fruit/crown ratio (6.38). It was also evident that the application of NAA 200 mgL-1 improved fruit quality in terms of soluble solid contents (17.67 oBrix), soluble solid contents to acid ratio (19.49), reducing sugar (3.54%), and total sugar content (12.38%). Higher pulp content (73.89%), pulp-to-peel ratio (3.49), and juice content (54.50%) were also observed with NAA 200 mgL-1.&#x0D; Conclusion: NAA 200 mgL-1 significantly improved fruit growth i.e. fruit weight, fruit-to-crown ratio, and absolute growth rate. It also enhanced the quality attributes of pineapple fruits i.e. pulp content, pulp-to-peel ratio, juice content, pH, soluble solid contents, SSC to acid ratio, reducing sugar, and total sugar content.

The Contributions of Soil Biochemical Properties as Determinant of Pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) Plantation LandProductivity in Central Lampung Regency

One of the management challenges in pineapple cultivation at plantation scale is the still occurrence of disparity in land productivity across the cultivated area although the cropping practices have been implemented for many years. In the case of a pineapple plantation in Central Lampung Regency, contribution of soil biochemical properties in terms of various soil enzyme activities as a determinant factor of land productivity has never been elaborated. This research was aimed to study the relationships among biochemical and other soil properties with land productivity or pineapple yield at plantation scale. Rhizosphere soil-composite samples were taken purposively from 4 stations at the largest Indonesian pineapple plantation representing blocks with high and low yield and growth at vegetative and generative phase. Relationships amongst the studied parameters were evaluated using PCA and linear multiple regression analysis. The results showed significant contributions of the rhizosphere soil properties on the pineapple yield according to equation: Yield = 64.895 – 6.546 PCA1 +13.057 PCA2 – 7.722 PCA4 (R2= 0.612), where PCA1 consisted of soil available-P, available-K, and CEC; PCA2 was of soil base saturation, total microbe population, enzyme activities of cellulase and invertase, while PCA4 was of soil organic C, silt fraction, and phosphatase activities.

Potential of Phosphorus Solubilizing Purple Nonsulfur Bacteria Isolated from Acid Sulfate Soil in Improving Soil Property, Nutrient Uptake, and Yield of Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merrill) under Acidic Stress

This study aimed to (i) evaluate purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) strains possessing the highest phosphorus (P) solubilizing capacity in field and (ii) determine the efficacy of PNSB biofertilizers in improving soil quality, P uptake, growth, and yield of pineapple cultivated in acid sulfate soil (ASS). A field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with two factors, including the first factor as P fertilizer levels (0, 50, 75, and 100% P) based on recommended fertilizer formula (RFF) and the second factor as supplementation of biofertilizers containing P solubilizing PNSB (no inoculated PNSB, Rhodobacter sphaeroides W48, R. sphaeroides W42, and a mixture of R. sphaeroides W48 and W42). The results indicated that the supplementation of PNSB biofertilizers led to an increase of 25.3–33.9% in soluble P concentration in soil compared to control treatment. Among the selected PNSB strains, R. sphaeroides W42 and a mixture of the PNSB in biofertilizers solubilized all insoluble P fractions (Fe-P, Al-P, and Ca-P) and strain W48 in biofertilizers for Fe-P and Al-P. Furthermore, the supplementation of biofertilizers from R. sphaeroides W48 and W42 individually and their mixture raised plant height by 3.56–4.10% and available P concentration by 25.3–33.9%. Total P uptake in pineapple treatments with biofertilizers from mixed PNSB was 42.9% higher than that in the control treatment ( p &lt; 0.05 ). Application of mixed PNSB strains can reduce 25% P of chemical fertilizer, but the pineapple yield rose over 12.1%. Both R. sphaeroides W48 and W42 are potent for use as crop yield enhancers to obtain the sustainable pineapple cultivation under acidic stress.

Investigating Yield Variability and Technical Efficiency of Smallholders Pineapple Production in Johor

This research investigates the efficiency of pineapple production in Malaysia using the stochastic frontier model with flexible risk features and a sample of 290 pineapple farms by smallholders in Johor. The results of the study indicate that the trans log model is the best match for the mean output function, while input factors, such as sucker, fertilizer, agrochemicals, labor, and hormones, have a positive effect on pineapple yield with rising returns to scale. The study also finds that fertilizers and hormones are risk increasing inputs, whilst sucker is classified as a risk decreasing input. The total farm-specific characteristics account for the difference in the mean technical efficiency, which is estimated to be 68.1%. The study shows that, on average, 31.9 percent of the potential output is wasted owing to technical inefficiency and production risks in inputs. However, the optimal production of pineapple is facilitated by the application of the best agricultural techniques.

Improving Nitrogen Availability and Ananas comosus L. Merr var. Moris Productivity in a Tropical Peat Soil Using Clinoptilolite Zeolite

Pineapple cultivation in nitrogen deficient and acidic peat soils leads to poor growth, yield, and fruit quality of pineapples. A study was conducted to determine whether clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) could improve soil nitrogen availability, growth, yield, and fruit quality of pineapples grown in drained peat soils. Laboratory leaching experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of CZ in controlling nitrogen loss from peat soils, whereas an ion-exchange resin method was used to determine nitrogen availability in pineapple cultivation. Treatments evaluated were: (i) different amounts of CZ (25, 50, 70, and 100%) + NPK fertilizer, (ii) NPK fertilizer, and (iii) peat soil only. The peat soils with CZ reduced ammonium and nitrate losses because of the sorption of ammonium within the lattices of the CZ via ion exchange. Co-application of CZ (25%) and NPK fertilizers was more effective in increasing soil ammonium availability, whereas the use of CZ (25% to 100%) improved nitrogen uptake and use efficiency, growth, yield, and fruit quality of pineapple because CZ could regulate the availability of nitrogen ions for pineapple uptake. The buffering capacity of CZ increased soil pH and facilitated organic nitrogen mineralization. The co-application of CZ and NPK fertilizers can be used to improve nitrogen availability and pineapple productivity in tropical peat soils.

Impact and Assessment of Frontline Demonstration (FLD) Management of Weeds in Pineapple by Plastic Mulch

Twenty-five numbers of frontline demonstrations were conducted on management of weed in pineapple by plastic mulch 2014-2016 &amp; 2016-2018 subsequently with an ultimate aim to supressed growth of weeds and boost farmer income because weeding accounts approximate 30–40% of the overall cost of crop. Pineapple cultivation with 50 micron black polythene sheet mulching with double row spacing i.e. 90 x 60 x 30cm not only suppresses the weed growth but conserves the soil moisture, which leads to early flowering, better vegetative growth &amp; higher yield over control (Farmer practice). The demonstrated recorded an average yield ranging from 43.18 to 45.90 t/ha with a mean of 44.54 t/ha. The per cent increase yield in demonstration 49.77% during 2014-16 and 66.67% during 2016-18 respectively, over the farmer practice. The average ranges of extension gap (14.35- 18.36 t/ha), technology gap (9.10- 11.82 t/ha) and technology index (21.49-16.55%) were during the period under study. The demonstrated field gave higher mean gross return (Rs. 267240 /ha) and mean net returns (Rs. 191740/ha) with average benefit: cost ratio (3.54) compared to the local checks (1.71). Present results clearly show that the yield and economics of pineapple can be boost up by adoption of recommended technology.

Estimation of Crop Water Requirement of Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) for Drip Fertigation

The experiment was conducted at the research farm of ICAR- Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa, India during 2016–2019 to estimate the crop water requirement (CWR) of pineapple during different growth stages and compare the pineapple crop performance and economic viability at different irrigation systems. Crop water requirement of pineapple was calculated based on the consolidated weather data of 14 years and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) of pineapple at different growth stages using Penman-Montieth equation using CROPWAT 8.0 software. In the experiemtal location, maximum crop evapotranspiration was found in the month of May (81 mm month-1) and the minimum was in the month of July (25 mm month-1). Crop water requirement was the highest in April (0.67 litre day-1 plant-1). During the period of monsoon, irrigation was withdrawn due to sufficienct soil moisture situation. Performance of pineapple crop under different systems of irrigation viz., surface irrigation, drip irrigation and drip fertigation was studied and found that the highest plant height (76.90 cm), D leaf width (5.45 cm), number of leaves (43), D leaf weight (150.3 g) and fruit weight (2.35 kg) were in drip fertigation. An estimated yield of 96.80 t ha-1 was recorded under drip fertigation treatment followed by drip irrigation (90.99 t ha-1) and surface irrigation (76.45 t ha-1) treatments. The cost economics analysis of pineapple production under different treatments revealed that the highest gross returns (` 14.5 lakhs), net returns (` 7.9 lakhs) and B:C ratio (1.2) were in drip fertigation treatment. Adoption of drip fertigation system in pineapple crop under west coast agro-climatic conditions of Goa is helpful to enhance the crop growth and yield of pineapple and fetch good economic returns.

Effect of mulch types on soil moisture, soil fertility, growth and yield of pineapple (Ananas comosus) in hill zone of Assam

A field experiment was carried out in Hill Zone of Assam from 2017 to 2019 with the objective of identifying mulch types on soil moisture retention, soil physical and chemical properties, growth and yield of pineapple (Ananas comosus) grown in hill slopes under farmers’ field condition. The treatments consisting of mulching with black polythene, dhaincha (Sesbania aquleata) as mulch, frequent slashing of weeds, soil mulching (soil mounding) and farmers practice without any mulch as control were evaluated in a randomized block design. Soil moisture content at 0-30cm depth was significantly different among the mulching methods and highest value of 14.2% at 0-30cm depth at harvesting was recorded in black polythene followed by slashing of weeds (13.1) and minimum in farmers practice. Soil texture was not affected by various mulches but there was a decline in bulk density with mulching and minimum value of 1.23 kg m-3 was recorded under slashing of weeds. Higher organic carbon (8.8 g kg-1), available nitrogen (341.8 kg ha-1), phosphorus (9.5 kg ha-1) and potassium (100.6 kg ha-1) were recorded in organic mulches i.e. slashing of weeds and dhaincha. The highest yield attributing characters and fruit yield of 38.3t ha-1 was recorded in the black polythene treatment followed by dhaincha as mulch (36.5 t ha-1) and frequent slashing of weed (35.6 t ha-1). Soil mulching and farmers practice recorded significantly lower yield than other treatments.

Effect of mulch types on soil moisture, soil fertility, growth and yield of pineapple (Ananas comosus) in hill zone of Assam

A field experiment was carried out in Hill Zone of Assam from 2017 to 2019 with the objective of identifying mulch types on soil moisture retention, soil physical and chemical properties, growth and yield of pineapple (Ananas comosus) grown in hill slopes under farmers’ field condition. The treatments consisting of mulching with black polythene, dhaincha (Sesbania aquleata) as mulch, frequent slashing of weeds, soil mulching (soil mounding) and farmers practice without any mulch as control were evaluated in a randomized block design. Soil moisture content at 0-30cm depth was significantly different among the mulching methods and highest value of 14.2% at 0-30cm depth at harvesting was recorded in black polythene followed by slashing of weeds (13.1) and minimum in farmers practice. Soil texture was not affected by various mulches but there was a decline in bulk density with mulching and minimum value of 1.23 kg m-3 was recorded under slashing of weeds. Higher organic carbon (8.8 g kg-1 ), available nitrogen (341.8 kg ha-1 ), phosphorus (9.5 kg ha-1 ) and potassium (100.6 kg ha-1 ) were recorded in organic mulches i.e. slashing of weeds and dhaincha. The highest yield attributing characters and fruit yield of 38.3t ha-1 was recorded in the black polythene treatment followed by dhaincha as mulch (36.5 t ha-1 ) and frequent slashing of weed (35.6 t ha-1 ). Soil mulching and farmers practice recorded significantly lower yield than other treatments.

Response of Pineapple Yield and Quality on Pinching of Crown Leaves Combined with Bagging of Fruits

The experiment was carried out during 2014-2016 at Horticulture farm under the Department of Horticulture and Post Harvest Technology, Institute of Agriculture, Visva Bharati, Sriniketan to study the ‘Response of pineapple yield and quality on pinching of crown leaves combined with bagging of fruits’. The experiment comprised of 9 treatment combinations of pinching of leaves with different types of bagging materials that is T1:control, T2: pinching of 3 crown leaves; T3: pinching of 6 crown leaves; T4: pinching of 3 crown leaves + bagging with thin jute bag; T5: pinching of 3 crown leaves + bagging with perforated black polythene; T6: pinching of 3 crown leaves + bagging with news paper; T7: pinching of 6 crown leaves + bagging with thin jute bag; T8: pinching of 6 crown leaves + bagging with perforated black polythene; T9: pinching of 6 crown leaves + bagging with news paper . Entire experiment was done by using RBD with three replications. Observations was recorded on yield and quality attributes namely, fruit length without crown (cm), crown length (cm), fruit weight without crown (g), crown weight (g), estimated yield without crown (t/ha), fruit juice content (g), TSS (oB), acidity (%), TSS: acidity ratio, reducing sugar (%) and total sugar (%). Results denoted that the fruit size, fruit weight, and estimated yield was found best with the treatment T9 (6 crown leaves pinching with newspaper bagging) and all the fruit quality parameter like TSS, acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing and non reducing sugar, and orgenoleptic score was also found superior in T9 (6 crown leaves pinching with newspaper bagging. These result is may be due to the fact that bagging keeps the temperature lower than external environment and helps to arouse proper development and growth and pinching of leaves consequently increases the weight of fruit and also make it convenient for handling and markinteng.