Effect of Propagulr and Planting Pattern on Growth and Yield of Pineapple
Oloso KK*, Akanbi WB and Onarinde CR
ABSTRACT
Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) is an economically important tropical fruit crop valued for its nutritional, medicinal, and industrial uses. It contributes significantly to income generation and food security in many tropical regions, including Nigeria. However, productivity is often constrained by inappropriate selection of planting propagules and planting pattern. This study determines the effects of propagule type and planting pattern on vegetative growth, reproductive performance, and fruit yield of pineapple under the agro-ecological conditions of Ogidi Village, Orire Local Government Area, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
The experiment consisted of a factorial combination of three propagule types (suckers, slips, and crowns) and two planting patterns (single-row and double-row). Data were collected on plant height, D-leaf length, number of leaves, days to flowering, days to fruiting, fruit length, fruit diameter, mean fruit weight, crown weight, and fruit yield.
Propagule type significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced all measured vegetative and reproductive parameters. Sucker-derived plants consistently exhibited superior vegetative growth, attaining the greatest plant height (118.83 cm), D-leaf length (41.57 cm), D-leaf width (10.90 cm), and leaf number (37.23 leaves) at 14 months after planting. Suckers also produced significantly higher fruit length (19.71 cm), fruit diameter (36.86 cm), mean fruit weight (1.779 kg), and crown weight (327.20 g) compared with slips and crowns. Planting pattern significantly affected most growth and yield traits, with single-row planting generally enhancing plant height and fruit weight, while double-row planting improved certain fruit dimensions. Significant interaction effects indicated that the influence of planting pattern on growth and yield was dependent on propagule type.
Fruit yield ranged from 22.36 to 84.71 t ha⁻¹ and was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) among treatments. The highest yield was obtained from sucker-based treatments under favorable planting configuration. The findings demonstrate that the use of sucker propagules combined with single row planting optimizes vegetative development, fruit characteristics were recommended for improved pineapple production under the agro-ecological conditions of Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
