In Colombia, pineapple production covers about 33,000 hectares, 5,000 of which correspond to the oro miel variety (Pineapples are delicious L. cv. MD2), characterized by its intense yellow color and high content of vitamin C, with wide acceptance by the public for fresh consumption.
As part of the project “Increasing sustainable competitiveness in hillside agriculture in Valle del Cauca”, the researcher Jennifer López Montoya, PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the National University of Colombia (UNAL) Palmira Campus, analyzed the growth, development and efficient use of nutrients in the golden honey pineapple that is planted in the municipality of Dagua, the main producer of the department, and evaluated the effect of different fertilization doses on said factors, and on the quality of the fruit.
Unlike other varieties, which have cycles of up to 24 months, the honey gold pineapple bears fruit between 16 and 18 months. In some areas there is a second harvest, since the same plants produce another fruit; however, many times growers do not know this and eradicate the crop after the first.
The researcher points out that “in this area of the country, farmers cultivated the MD2 hybrid in the same way as other traditional pineapple varieties, or with the recommendations of other countries; however, because it is different in the growth cycle and in its nutritional needs, the agronomic management and the use of fertilizers in golden honey must be given in a different way”.
Fertilization and pineapple, a nutritious alliance
The results of the study indicated that there are significant differences in growth, distribution, efficient use of nutrients and quality of the fruit due to the effect of the treatments that correspond to the doses of fertilizers.
“Farmers in the area reached a maximum of 60 tons per hectare in the dose, in the best treatment 88 t/ha was reached.” This measure will help reduce production costs, which can reach up to 40%, and avoid excessive use of agrochemicals that affect the environment.
To determine the ideal dose, meetings and technical visits were first held to learn about the needs of pineapple growers in the Dagua hillside area, and incidentally they were trained in the MD2 variety fertilization process.
“In the meetings they realized that they were not doing the fertilization well, and that when agrochemicals are used in excess they can modify the properties of the soil, in addition to affecting the quality of the fruit and subsequent crops,” says Dr. López.
The experiment was set up on the land of one of the producers, selected so that both the technical and research team as well as the other growers participated in monitoring and training in the management of fertilizers.
Throughout the crop cycle, chemical analyzes of the nutrient content and its different stages of development were made.
Every two months he measured the growth of the plant organs and the distribution of dry matter. Factors such as: development and weight of the fruit were evaluated; plant height; stem diameter; pH; soluble solids; vitamin C, and bromelain content, an enzyme extracted from the stem or fruit of the pineapple to which beneficial properties are attributed to digest food proteins in the stomach or intestines.
“We determined the different growth phases of the crop, how often they occur and how much dry matter the crop accumulates during each phase, and in this way we found out the nutritional needs and generated relevant information for the national production of honey gold pineapple,” he points out.
The investigation was carried out with resources from the General System of Royalties and the endorsement of the Government of Valle del Cauca.
2023-04-25 06:37:05
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