EVALUATION OF ORNAMENTAL PINEAPPLE HYBRIDS FOR RESISTANCE TO FUSARIUM SUBGLUTINANS F. SP. ANANAS

Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. ananas, the causal agent of pineapple fusariosis, is the most serious problem of that crop in Brazil. The cultivation of resistant cultivars is the most efficient control measure and this concept is also useful to ornamental plants. This work aimed at evaluating ornamental pineapple hybrids for resistance to fusariosis. Forty hybrids from five crosses (FRF-22×FRF-1387), (FRF-1392×FRF-32), (G-44×FRF-1387), (FRF-1392×FRF-224) and (FRF-1387×FRF-224) were evaluated. Pineapple slips, about 25 cm long, were wounded at their bases with a 2-mm diameter needle and immersed into a conidial suspension for about 3 min and then transferred to a greenhouse. After 90 days, evaluation was performed considering both internal and external symptoms and a scale of notes was applied. The experimental design was a completely randomized with six replications and four controls: cultivars ‘Pérola’ and ‘Smooth Cayenne’ (susceptible) and PE×SC73 and ‘Perolera’ (resistant). Results showed that 14 hybrids were resistant, 15 were moderately resistant and 11 were susceptible. Nevertheless, in the cross FRF-1392×FRF-224, 100% of the hybrids were resistant. The behaviour of the controls was adequate to give support to the results obtained in the present work.