PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH IN CHINA

Pineapple, next to banana and mango, is the third most important tropical fruit in the mainland of China. The cultivation areas range from 52,000 to 65,000 ha with a total production 780,000 to 920,000 ton within this decade. Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces are the main pineapple cultivation areas. Guangdong province produces 50-60% of the pineapple grown in China. Nearly 80% of the pineapple produced in China goes to the domestic market as fresh fruit. ‘Comte de Paris’, which occupies more than 80% of the planted area, is the most important pineapple cultivar in mainland China. But ‘Yuecui’, ‘Tainung No.16’ and ‘Tainung No.17’ are promising cultivars and the area devoted to these cultivars continues to increase. Although the pineapple industry takes an important role in the tropical agriculture economy in China, there were few researches carried out on pineapple before 2005. Crop management is mostly based on farmer’s experience. To promote the development of the pineapple industry and increase its competitive ability, The Ministry of Agriculture of China started a research program on pineapple in 2006. It includes genetic improvement, studies into high yield and good quality fruit production techniques, integrated management of pests and diseases, postharvest handling, utilization of by-products and marketing strategy. Some progress has been made from this program, including a better understanding of the role of nutrient requirements and uptake by ‘Comte de Paris’ and ‘Smooth Cayenne’ and of sugar metabolism and accumulation during fruit development. Also, it has been found that pineapple leaf fibres have the ability to kill and/or inhibit bacteria and eliminate unpleasant smells. Techniques have also been developed in leaf fibre extraction and processing.