Development of ‘Pérola’ Pineapple (Ananas comosus vr. Comosus) Infructescence Under Organic Fertilization

Pineapple (Ananas comosus vr. comosus) plants require balanced nutrition to meet fruit’s quality standards for market and consumption. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of organic and mineral fertilization on the development of the ‘Pérola’ pineapple infructescences produced in the Paraíba State, Brazil. The plants were grown under organic fertilization composed by a mixture of cattle manure and poultry litter at 0, 50, 75 and 100% of the recommended N rate (RNR) for pineapple cultivation and conventional mineral fertilization. The evaluation of length, diameter, and fresh mass (fruit and crown) of fruit, and crown length was initiated at the 43rd day after floral induction (DAFI). The use organic fertilizer at 100% of the RNR provided a higher growth rate of fruits as compared to mineral fertilization. In general, the length and diameter of the infructescences evolved rapidly until the 73rd DAFI, corresponding to the first development phase. At the second phase, it was observed an intense growth rate to about the 103rd DAFI, which was followed by a slower growth rate until around the 118th DAFI. In the third and last phase, after the 118th DAFI, the physiological maturity was reached and followed by the commercial maturity at the 133rd DAFI when the pineapple presented from the base 25% of the fruitlets with yellowish color. Under the experimental conditions herein, the organic fertilization at the level of 75% RNR promoted a similar growth rate while the 100% RNR resulted in a greater length and fresh mass of infrutescences compared to the mineral fertilization. Therefore, mixed manure can be a suitable fertilizer alternative for ‘Pérola’ pineapple’s smallholder farming production.