EFFECTS OF N AND K ON PLANT BIOMASS, YIELD AND QUALITY OF 'MASPINE' PINEAPPLE FRUIT GROWN ON RASAU SOIL

A. Hartinee, M. Zabedah, M. Malip
The effects of 16 nitrogen (N) and potassium (K2O) combinations on the plant biomass and fruit yield and quality of ‘Maspine’ pineapple were studied on the Rasau soil series in MARDI Bukit Tangga. The N and K2O levels applied, in kg ha-1, were 0, 200, 400 and 800. The highest plant biomass was obtained at 200 N and 400 K2O. The highest average fruit weight of 1.88 kg was obtained with 200 N and 200 or 400 kg K2O. The fruit total soluble solids (TSS), which ranged from 11-18°Brix, were also highest at those levels of N and K2O. Correlation analysis between plant characteristics and yield showed that leaf length and weight, both peduncle and stem width and weight, fruit length, including fruit weight and width were positively correlated with r values ranging from 0.81 to 0.99. The relationship between nine plant characteristics and average fruit weight were evaluated by stepwise regression and peduncle, stem and fruit width and fruit length accounted for the majority of the variation in average fruit weight. Thus, with the recommended N and K combinations the yield kg plant-1 (Y) of pineapple ‘Maspine’ can be derived from all significant plant biomass data through the equation Y=-1799.16-8.93 (peduncle width)+15.14 (stem width)+4.34 (fruit length)+13.77 (fruit width) with p<0.15.
Hartinee, A., Zabedah, M. and Malip, M. (2011). EFFECTS OF N AND K ON PLANT BIOMASS, YIELD AND QUALITY OF 'MASPINE' PINEAPPLE FRUIT GROWN ON RASAU SOIL. Acta Hortic. 902, 269-274
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.902.29
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.902.29
plant nutrient, fertilizer, mineral soil, soil properties
English

Acta Horticulturae