A Comparison of Five Types of Planting Material for Rough Leaf Pineapples.

Abstract

A five-year trial comparing five planting materials for rough leaf pineapples ( Ananas comosus ( L). Merr.) is described from New Britain. Treatments were tops, slips, butts, aerial and ground suckers. All materials except butts produced a good stand. Aerial and ground suckers were the first to bear followed by slips, tops and lastly butts. Aerial suckers clearly out yielded the other treatments throughout the trial whilst butts were inferior. Yield differences were mainly associated with differences in fruit number, but differences in average fruit weight also occurred. Treatment effects were related to maximum plant height at ten weeks after planting and average weight of 100 of each of four leafy types of planting material taken from another block.