Quality and sensory acceptance of ‘Pérola’ pineapple grown in soil with application of organic fertilizer

ABSTRACT: Type of fertilizer and doses used are factors that influence the quality of pineapple fruit. This study aimed to evaluate the physico-chemical and sensorial quality of organically grown ‘Pérola’ pineapple and recommend the effective dose for best fruit quality, especially regarding sensorial acceptance. Effect of doses of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 t ha-1 of “bokashi” organic fertilizer on color, weight, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio (SS/TA), vitamin C content, sensory acceptance and purchase intention was evaluated. Increasing doses of bokashi positively influenced weight and titratable acidity of the fruits and negatively affected the SS/TA ratio. Fruits produced with doses between 20t ha-1 and 40t ha-1. had good sensorial acceptance and were considered to have ideal acidity, sweetness and texture by most consumers. The authors recommend using 20 t ha-1 of bokashi, as this dose promotes the production of high quality fruits, with satisfactory SS/TA ratio and high sensorial acceptance.