干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Pineapple is the most important tropical fruit crop in the semi-arid region of Lara State, Venezuela. Usually, this crop is not irrigated in the country because it is adapted to dry conditions; however, irrigation can improve its productivity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of irrigation on growth, flowering and fruit quality of pineapple 'Red Spanish' under field conditions. Slip propagules were planted at 0.4x0.6 m spacing. Six months after planting, four irrigation treatments were applied using pan evaporation factors of 0.1 (T1), 0.2 (T2), 0.3 (T3) and 0.4 (T4), watering weekly for one year. Twelve plants per treatment were evaluated in a split block design. Plant height, plant lateral expansion, total number of leaves, total number of young apical leaves, 'D' leaf length, leaf second whorl expansion, and aerial and root dry weight increased with increasing irrigation volume. The flowering increased with the irrigation treatments reaching the maximum at T4 (84%). Fruit weight, size and crown length were lower in T1. Total soluble solids showed a decreasing trend in T4, and acidity in T1. In general, vegetative growth and flowering of pineapple 'Red Spanish' grown under semi-arid region of Lara State improved when applying 40% of the water lost by the pan evaporation (T4), although fruit weight and size did not increase with irrigation above 20% of that volume (T2).