AGR662

PINEAPPLES
SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION

Family : Bromeliaceae
Scientific Name :
Ananas comosus
INTRODUCTION - History
• Origin: believed to be from South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay)

• Widely known in 1493 when Christopher Columbus made the discovery

• First introduced to Malaysia in the sixteenth centuries

• by Spanish Colonial

• One of Malaysia’s oldest agricultural-related export industry

• dating back to 1888
• Earlier than oil palm
Health benefits of pineapple – Why ???
• Immune system support – Vitamin C
• Bone strength – high Mn
• Eye health - vitamin C and antioxidant
• Digestion – high fiber
Industry background
https://fb.watch/aAIzvsglqP/
• Malaysia was top 3 pineapple producers in the world in the 60's and early 70’s

• 65% the pineapple production area are managed by “ESTATES”

Pineapple Estate/Company in Malaysia

• Lee Pineapple Company
• 2,428.1ha in Simpang Renggam, Johor
• Produced 100,000 fruits per day
• Kulim Pineapple Farm
• 152ha in Ulu Tiram, Johor
• Rompin Integrated Pineapple Industry (RIPI)
• 1500 ha of MD2 pineapple
• In Rompin, Pahang
• Multi-agencies collaboration
Current target by MPIB
Target (11th Malaysian plan) 2016-2020
15,000ha with a production of 700,000 metric tonne
• Before < year 2000
• the export of pineapples comprised 70% canned pineapple and 30% fresh
fruits.

• Current target by MPIB

• reverse this ratio to 30:70 (Canned /fresh fruits)
• Fresh fruits pineapples has premium prices in the export market
Pineapple industry in Malaysia - Problem/Challenge ?
• Labour shortage
• Most are foreign workers
• Malaysians do not want to work in this labour-intensive sector
• Workers have to stand the heat
• pineapple trees are short, no shade from the hot sun
• constantly bend over to harvest the fruits manually
• Lack of in-farm technology
• Most technology in trial phase
2) Pineapple morphology
• Each ‘eye’ is an individual fruit
• If flower undergo pollination, seeds will be formed
• inflorescence consists of 50-200 individual
hermaphrodite flowers
• arranged in a compact spiral cluster
Climate & Soil requirements

Climate

Temperature : Between 24 – 30ᵒC

Rainfall : 100cm – 150cm

Soils

- Suitable to most type of soil

- Malaysia : 97% cultivated on peat soil
- Suitable pH : 4.5 – 5.0
- Normally planted on low, flat land
Varieties & types
Varieties & types
Types/Group Spanish Cayenne Queen
Shape Cylindrical Cylindrical Conical

Market demand Canning Canning Fresh consumption

Characteristics Sufficient fiber for firm slices and cubes High sugar content,
Does not ship well (fresh) low acidity

Have mixed qualities of pineapple, suitable for fresh

HYBRID consumption or canning/processing

Hybrid - the offspring of two plants of different species or varieties

Pineapple ; 3 general types & characteristics :

1) Spanish (Canning)

Varieties :
(Mas Merah, Nanas Johor, Gandul, Singapore
Spanish, Red Spanish, Selangor Green, Josapine)

Plant :
- average in size
- smooth leaves (spines at the tip)

Fruit :
- rounded in shape
- 1.0 – 1.5kg
- golden yellow, fibrous flesh
2) Cayenne (Canning)

Varieties :
(Cayenne, Nanas Sarawak/Smooth Cayenne,
Smooth Guatemala, Sarawak Slipping, St.
Micheal)

Plant :
- big
- smooth leaves (spines at the tip)

Fruit :
- cylindrical-shaped
- 2 – 4kg
- pale yellow flesh, acidic, sweet
3) Queen (Fresh consumption)

Varieties :
(Nanas Moris-Mauritius, Mauritius Slipping,
Yankee)

Plant :
- small
- spiny leaves

Fruit :
- small, conical
- 0.9 – 1.5kg
- golden yellow, crispy flesh, good flavour (sweetness)
Registered Pineapple Variety in Malaysia
Source: Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB)
MD2 Pineapple (Golden Sweet) ? – popular variety !!
• Superior pineapple variety (Fresh consumption)
• One of the most cultivated pineapple in Malaysia
• Characteristics
• Sugar level
• >12 - 19° Brix
• Acidity: < 1%
• Diameter : Min. 5 cm Max. 10 cm
• Weight : > 1.5kg
• Yield Potential: 35 - 45 mt/ha/cycle
• easily accepted in international market
• due to sugar content, appearance, colour, long lifespan,
ripeness
Brix level (Sugar Content)
• 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution
• brix level of fruits and vegetables will give you a good idea of their
quality, including not just sugars but critical minerals and trace
minerals

Brix Refractometer
 AGR612
PINEAPPLES
(Next class)
 4) Propagation – Planting material

- Vegetative cutting (sucker/sulur)

- Tissue culture (Mass production, estate plantation)

PROPAGATION -
Propagate vegetatively using

1) SLIPS
- produced from base of the fruits
- 1 – 12 slips/plant
- about 18 months to mature

2) SUCKERS (“benih sulur ”)

- produced at the base of the main stem at the ground
level
-usually responsible for ratoon crops
(stubble cropping, growing a crop from the stubbles of
previous crop)
- about 12-14 months to mature
- 3 grades : small(30cm),
medium(45cm), big(60cm)

3) CROWNS (Avoid !)
- found at the top of the fruits
- about 2 years to mature
• Preferences: used sucker or tiller with 300-350 g weight
• Slanting cut (optional)

• Dip in Mancozeb 0.3 % or Carbendazim 0.1% (optional-could

encourage higher success)
 TISSUE CULTURE

• Using artificial media to develop fragments of plant tissues into new plants
• Require expertise
Advantages of Tissue Culture
• Similar chemical and nutrient profiles, maturation period and physical
properties with normal plant
• Clean planting materials
• Disease free materials
• Abundantly available
• Large scale planting
• Uniform size
• Reduce labour for collecting planting materials
Harga terkini benih MD2:
RM 2.00 – 2.50
- Belian dari pengeluar
benih sah yang
disenaraikan oleh MPIB
• To maintain supply of MD2 pineapple planting materials, for every 5
suckers produced, 2 will be returned/sold to MPIB
• Will be distributed to other growers
• Advantages: wider distribution-avoid monopoly, preserve seedling originality

• In case of low seedlings supply

• sucker can be sectioned
• Cut longitudinally into half, quarters or sixths
• each having at least one axillary bud
• Might affect maturity (slightly late)
5) Field planting requirements ?
FIELD PLANTING -High Density Planting ?
FIELD PLANTING - specifications
• Land Preparation
- should be plough, harrowed & drainage important especially when
planting on peat soil.
• If Poorly drained soil – must form beds/ridges for at least 20 cm (8 inches)
high
• Planting distance
- 120cm X 60cm X 30cm (double rowed beds)
- 90cm X 60cm X 30cm (e.g. Nanas Sarawak & Gandul cultivar)
• Planting density
- Conventional planting : 43 500 plants/ha
- High density planting : 80,000 to 85,000 plants/ha
 High Density Planting
• 30cm X 30cm
• Working lanes (75cm) every 10 rows
• Could accommodate 80,000 to 85,000 plants/ha
• Gaining popularity among pineapple farmers
• Short crops, reduced leaves
• minimal shading to each other
Planting distance
- 120cm X 60cm X 30cm (double rowed beds)
- 90cm X 60cm X 30cm (e.g. Nanas Sarawak & Gandul cultivar)

• Need intensive management (weeding, crop protection, fertilisation)

• If Poor management- reducing fruit size, number of slips and suckers per plant
• Low quality harvest, reduce income
Planting distance
- 120cm X 60cm X 30cm (double rowed beds)
- 90cm X 60cm X 30cm (e.g. Nanas Sarawak & Gandul cultivar)
 Working Lanes
Working Lanes
Field Road

Working Lanes
Planning of Cultivation – Staggered planting
• Planting is normally staggered within the year (Continuous production)
• to guarantee a regular supply of fruits to the market
• Avoid over supply – problems in marketing, storage
• Good planning and management
• plant can be harvested on daily/regular basis

• Field can be sectioned

• Indicate different planting stage
• Harvest according to schedule
Planting method (Manual vs semi-mechanised)
Planting method (Manual)
• Hole punching (menugal)
• or hole digging
• Planting materials inserted
• Soil around the holes compacted to support the plant
• Laborious
• Time consuming

‘Menugal’ or ‘hole punching’

Pineapple Transplanter

• semi-mechanized
• a worker sitting at the back of a tractor and feeding seedlings into
slots
• slow rotating disc will makes the hole, pushing the seedlings in and
tamping the earth around the seedlings at the same time
• Usually only suitable for mineral soils
• Peat soil ? – too fragile, producer still prefer manual method
6) General maintenance?
Mulching
• Optional:
• Mulching – using black plastics (polyethylene)
• Reduce the needs for weeds control
• Retain moisture
WEED CONTROL
• Weeding is done manually during early stages of growth
• Chemical weeding can be done about about 6 months after planting by
using Gramoxone or Paraquat
 1) Fertilizer Application
Time Type of fertilizer Rate per hectare

Before planting Lime 2.5 tones

At time of planting CIRP (Christmas Island 200 kg

Rock Phosphate)
3 months NPK 12:12:17:2 200 kg

6 months NPK 12:6:22:3 500 kg

9 months NPK 12:6:22:3 500 kg

Fertilization on (mineral soil) - Granular vs foliar spray applications

Type of Composition Rate Time of application

Fertilizer (months after planting)
Broadcast 1. N: P : K : Mg : 15:15:15:0 860 kg per 2, 4, 6
fertilizer ha
2. N: P : K : Mg: 12:12:17:2
860 kg per
ha
Foliar spray 1. 42 g copper sulphate, 42 g zinc 50 mL 1.5
sulphate, 21 g ferrous
sulphate, and 640 g hydrated
lime in 18 L of water
3
2. 42 g copper sulphate, 42 g zinc 100 mL
sulphate, 21 g ferrous
sulphate, 640 g hydrated lime
and 640 g urea in 18 L of
water
Fertilization (peat soil) – Granular vs foliar spray applications

Type of Fertiliser Composition Rate Time of application

(months after planting)
Broadcast (granul) N: P : K : 30:1:32. 14g per plant 2,4,6
fertilizer To every 600 kg add 2kg copper sulphate and 2
kg zinc sulphate

Foliar spray 1. 42 g copper sulphate, 42 g zinc sulphate, 50 mL 1.5

21 g ferrous sulphate, and 640 g hydrated
lime in 18 L of water

2. 42 g copper sulphate, 42 g zinc sulphate, 100 mL

21 g ferrous sulphate, 640 g hydrated lime 3
and 640 g urea in 18 L of water
Liming (pH adjuster)

• Particularly important in newly-planted peat soil

• Very low and unstable pH
• pH need to be in range of 4.5-5.5

• Pineapple favour slightly/mildly acidic soil

• Can be problematic in alkaline soils
 2)Pest and Diseases
 Pest of Pineapples
i. Mealy bugs Dysmicoccus brevipes
symptoms : attacks the basal parts of the
leaves results in yellowing & wilting
- sucking the juice from their host plants
control : spray with insecticide Diazinon
ii. Red spider mite Stigmaeus floridanus

symptoms : attack the basal parts of the leaves

resulting in brown discoloration
control : spray with Malathion
iii. Nematode
- also known as roundworms
symptoms : attack the basal part of the plant and
the root system.
control : use nematicides to reduce the attacks on
pineapple plants
Diseases of pineapples
Bacterial Heart Rot
Pathogen : Erwinia chrysanthemi
- spread through agents or vectors such as wind, soil or insects

Symptoms : - leaves turn yellowish with

protrusions
Control:
- remove & destroy the affected plants.
- Biological control (antagonistic/opposite action))
- release a smell fluid (repellant) & spray with
insecticides such as Chlopyrifos
- to control ants (and other insects) > vector for Ervinia
Diseases of pineapples

Fruit Collapse
Pathogen : Ervinia chrysanthemi
Symptoms : - attack fruit near maturity.
- fruit become soft, watery, dirty green in color.

Control : - destroy the affected plants & fruits

- biological control
- spray with heptachlor just before flowering to
control ants (and other insects)
- avoid insects from carrying pathogen to the pineapple plants and fruits
Diseases of pineapples
Deep eye
Pathogen : Penicillium funiculusum
Symptoms : -the tissues around the seed
become brown and hard
-destruction of reproductive tissue

Control :
- avoid applying fertilizer during flowering & rainy days
- no chemical control has been successful
- Biological control (antagonistic approaches)
 FLOWER INDUCTION - Hormone
• Pineapple produces flower throughout the whole year but the yield not consistent.

• For commercial production , it important to induce the production of flower because to get uniform fruit.

• The benefits of flower induction are :

*Accelerate the production of flower
*Uniform flowering
*Enables planning of fruit production
*Facilitates the process of harvesting
*less than 12 months from planting to harvest
*savings that can amount to 20–35% of the maintenance cost of the normal crop cycle of 15–18 months
* bring earlier returns to investment
Suitable plant for hormone application

• healthy and functioning leaves (35-40 leaves).

• Flower induction is carried out “1 month” after fertilizer application.
• The best time of flower induction are in the morning and the evening.
Growth Hormones for Fruit Development
• To improve fruit development and growth
• Example of growth hormone are Fruitone
• The rate of application is 1ml Fruitone + 1L of water and 50 ml of the solution is
applied to each of the fruit set.
• The process: 80- 110 Days after flower induction.

• Over application of hormones !!!!! (Please avoid)

* Reduced fruit weight
* Reduced sugar content and increased “acid content”
* Cracked interior region
* Stunted crown
* Overcrisp flesh
 The Types Hormone (in the market) used are :

• Calcium Carbide
Form : solid

• NAA(Napthelene acetic acid)

Form: Pill

• Planofix
Form: Liquid

• Ethrel
Form: Liquid
The rate of application of induction hormones
Hormone Weight Water (L)-knapsack Volume of
solution/plant

Calcium Carbide 135gm 18 25ml

Planofix 4.5ml 18 25ml

Ethrel 20ml 18 30-50 ml

NAA pill ___ ____ One pill

CULLING OF CROWNS AND SUCKERS
• Excessive crowns and suckers are culled to Improve fruit development
and obtain uniform maturity
• Crown of more than 3 cm long are culled and not more than 2 suckers
are allowed
7) Harvesting ?
Harvesting -Ripeness Level of Pineapple

Immature, Harvest for Harvest for Harvest for Harvest for Harvest for Fully ripe for
no harvest export export export fresh eating, fresh eating, fresh eating,
through sea through sea through air, not suitable not suitable not suitable
and air suitable for for export for export for export
fresh eating
 Harvesting – Gred vs Price of Pineapple
Classified according to Diameter (cm)
• Class A – 12.0 - 12.7 cm
• Class B – 11.0 - 12.0 cm
• Class C – 9.0 - 11.0 cm
HARVESTING
• Fruit mature 152 days (5 months) after flower induction
• brectia changes color from reddish to pale and the fruitlets change from
reddish to blackish brown
• Harvesting done manually by plucking fruits and collected into large
baskets.
• These fruit should be transported to the mill within 24 hours after
harvesting.
8) Processing & Potential Products ?
PROCESSING
• Pineapples are processed into :
* tinned in a heavy syrup in the form slices , cubes or chunks (nanas
kaleng)
* As a deserts
* As a juice ,jams or puree
Products from Pineapple
(value added)

Candy

Vinegar

Coffee and Chips

RIPI
Pineapple fibre
• Extracted from pineapple leaves
• Can be mixed with other materials such as silk and
polyester for textile production
• Can be used as substitute for leather
• Commonly used in Philippines
• Pinatex

Shoes and bag from Pineapple waste

• The quality could match the common textile from cotton
• Could produce various clothes, curtain or mat
Activated Pineapple Charcoal

• Beneficial as deodorizer
• Release negative charge and infrared
ray for freshness therapy
• Not widely produced as pineapple is
more important as food
MARKETING
• The tinned products are generally exported
to other country
• The small holders production are marketed
through wholesalers and retailers