ISHS Acta Horticulturae 153: IX African Symposium on Horticultural Crops
THE INFLUENCE OF PLANTING MATERIAL, SPACING and ETHREL ON PINEAPPLE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND QUALITY |
| Author: | Y.W. Mwaule |
| Abstract:
In a field trial using cv. Smooth Cayenne pineapple, the effects of three types of planting material: crowns, slips and suckers; three single row spacings: wide (90 x 90) medium (90 x 60) and narrow (60 x 60 cm); and two hormone levels: with and without ethrel, on plant development, fruit production and quality were investigated. Forcing with ethrel significantly reduced mean fruit weight, slip and sucker production, planting to harvest period and harvest duration but increased the acid and soluble solids contents of fruits. Spacing had little influence in the parameters measured. The solids-to-acid ratio was neither influenced by spacing, type of planting material used nor by forcing. There were significant interactions between ethrel and planting material on the planting to harvest period, harvest duration and slip production; and also between ethrel and spacing on soluble solids. The results indicated the potential of ethrel in pineapple production in Uganda. The need for further trials to determine more precisely conditions under which hormone application would be feasible is also indicated. | |
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