Predicting the production of 'Vitória' pineapple from phytotechnical and nutritional characteristics

ABSTRACTObtaining an adequate correlation between such phytotechnical characteristics as the weight of the D leaf or the stem diameter and production in the pineapple can accurately predict the appropriate period for flower induction, and result in maximum productivity. Such information is still considered as scarce for the Victória cultivar. The aim of this study therefore was to correlate and relate phytotechnical and nutritional characteristics to production, in irrigated Victória pineapple in the north of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. To do this, 75 plants were randomly collected during the period of flower induction from a crop under central-pivot irrigation. After collection, the plants were separated into their various parts: D leaves, total leaves, stem, fruit and roots, in order to estimate the weight of fresh and dry matter. In addition, the stem diameter, the length of the D leaf, the macro and micronutrient content of the D leaf, and the harvest index were all estimated. Using variance analysis, a significant correlation was seen between the majority of characteristics with fruit production, especially the high positive correlation between the fresh and dry weight of the D leaf (fresh r = 0.82, dry r = 0.84), diameter of the stem (r = 0.82) and diameter of the fruit (r = 0.93) to fruit weight. In order to obtain a fruit weight greater than or equal to 1.2 kg plant-1, flower induction in the 'Vitória' pineapple was suggested for those plants having a minimum weight for D leaf fresh matter of 70 g, or with a minimum stem diameter of 8.5 cm.