Plant growth and productive performance of pineapple hybrids, resistant to fusariosis, under semiarid conditions in Brazil

In Brazil, the pineapple industry is mostly driven by the ‘Pérola’ cultivar. Its fruit is juicy, with high sugar/acid ratio and well accepted by native consumers. However, its high susceptibility to Fusarium guttiforme results in large losses of plants, planting material and fruits in all Brazilian pineapple producing regions, even under semiarid conditions. New pineapple hybrids with resistance to fusariosis have been obtained by Embrapa’s breeding program. This work presents the performance of some of these hybrids grown without irrigation under the semiarid conditions of Itaberaba, main pineapple production area in Bahia, Brazil. Three hybrids (08, 61, 66) and genotype BGA 344 (FRF 632) were compared to ‘Pérola’, using a randomized blocks experimental design with four replications and 60 plants per plot. Plant growth was determined at 7.5 and 13 months (flowering forcing) after planting using number of leaves and ‘D’ leaf variables. At harvest, fruit weight and dimensions were measured and fruit quality evaluated at four apparent maturation stages (rind color). The three hybrids and BGA 344 presented a higher leaves emission than ‘Pérola’. Hybrid 66 also showed larger ‘D’ leaf fresh weight at flower forcing stage, whereas hybrid 08 and genotype BGA 344 presented lower ‘D’ leaf dimensions and weights than ‘Pérola’, with hybrid 61 in an intermediate position. Hybrid 08 produced the heaviest fruits, hybrids 61 and 66 fruits of weight similar to that of ‘Pérola’, and BGA 344 the smallest fruits. Fusariosis affected 80% of ‘Pérola’ fruits, but none of the fruits of the other genotypes studied. The three hybrids and BGA 344 presented higher sugar and acid contents than ‘Pérola’, but sugar/acid ratio was the highest for ‘Pérola’ (above 30) followed by the three hybrids (28 to 30) and BGA 344 (about 20). These results have indicated for the three new hybrids a good potential for future commercial use in this semiarid region.