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Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
2
Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan
Abstract
Commercial production of pineapple, a vitamin rich fruit crop in the tropics is gaining popularity in
Nigeria. However, scanty information on the nutritional requirements of pineapple is one of the major
constraints to the expansion of its cultivation in Nigeria. Field trial was conducted to determine the
effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates on the growth, yield and fruit quality of pineapple at the Teaching
and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Treatments consisted of N from urea
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fertilizer at 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200kg Nha arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD)
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were replicated three times. Results showed that N fertilizer application up to 200kg Nha significantly
(P=0.05) increased the number of leaves, D-leaf length and leaf area of both plant crop and ratoon
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crop. The highest yield of 23.0t ha and average fruit weight of 1.63g plant were obtained at 150kg
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Nha and beyond which there was reduction. Fruit yield components [fruit length, fruit diameter and
core diameter] increased, but fruit quality [Total soluble solid (TSS), percentage acidity and Vitamin C]
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decreased with increasing rates of N application. Application of 150kg Nha is required for maximum
fruit yield and quality parameters.
Keywords: D-leaf length, ratoon, Nitrogen fertilizer, Pineapple (ananas comosus).
INTRODUCTION
Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.), a member of
the family Bromeliaceae is cultivated predominantly for
its fruits that is consumed fresh or (as canned fruit and
o
o
juice) between latitudes 30 N and 34 S (Batholomew
and Kadzimin, 1977). It dominates the world trade of
tropical fruits, accounting for 51% of world global fruit
market (FAO, 2008) and gains popularity in Nigeria due
to fruit juice importation ban. However, only 5% of the
output is exported by producing countries and for Nigeria
fruit are not even exported commercially (FAO, 2010). It
is the only source of bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme
commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry and as a
meat tenderizing agent (Fougue, 1981). Pineapple plays
a vital role in the improvement of diet of mankind. It is a
good source of vitamins C, minerals and calories found
in the juice.
Parameters
pH
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Organic carbon (g kg )
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Total nitrogen (g kg )
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Available phosphorus (mg kg )
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Exchangeable Bases (cmol kg )
K
Ca
Mg
Na
Exch. Acidity
Effective cation exchange capacity
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Particle size analysis (g kg )
Sand
Silt
Clay
Values
5.82
2.21
0.11
8.36
0.38
0.60
0.45
0.38
0.40
2.21
732
147
121
Table 2. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer application rates on some growth parametersof pineapple plants at 10
months after planting.
Fertilizer
1
Kg N ha-
Number of
leaves
0
50
100
150
200
SE
65.36b
65.45b
75.67b
76.36b
91.03a
0.27
0
50
100
150
200
SE
62.53c
63.51b
65.47b
73.36b
98.20a
0.85
D-leaf length
(cm)
Plant Crop
79.50c
82.51b
88.36b
94.56a
95.57a
Ratoon Crop
73.30d
76.81c
82.27b
94.56a
97.33a
Root length
(cm)
Leaf area
2
a(cm )
30.12d
40.30c
45.05bc
49.76b
52.44a
0.75
41.57e
97.61d
122.30c
205.43b
242.36a
4.90
17.20d
29.30c
30.77c
35.98b
41.46a
1.48
50.20d
112.61c
153.86b
215.43b
240.46a
3.98
Means with the same letter in each column are not significantly different (p<0.05) using DMRT.
SE: Standard Error
D-Leaf: Longest centrally position leaf.
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Table 3. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer application rates on fruit yield and nitrogen use efficiency of pineapple plants
N kg ha
0
50
100
150
200
SE
0
50
100
150
200
SE
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Plant Crop
Fruit yield
(t/ha)
13.92c
14.20c
20.38ab
23.00a
19.36b
3.24
Fruit weight (g/plant)
0.87c
0.91c
1.50ab
1.63a
1.44bc
0.12
Ratoon
NUE
(g/g)
28.4
0.28
0.20
0.15
0.09
NUE
(g/g)
1.77
0.02
0.01
0.01
0.07
Fruit yield
(t/ha)
12.98c
13.91c
14.89b
19.46a
17.28b
1.14
Fruit weight (g/plant)
NUE
(g/g)
30.9
0.27
0.15
0.13
0.08
0.60c
0.95b
1.26a
1.58a
1.30a
1.10
1.42
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
Means with the same letter(s) in each column for each parameters are not significantly different (p<0.05) using
DMRT.
NUE: Nitrogen use efficiency
SE: Standard Error
Table 4. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer application on some fruit characters of pineapple plant.
Fertilizer rates
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(kgN ha )
Fruit length
(cm)
0
50
100
150
200
SE
13.33c
15.14b
22.20a
22.30a
24.60a
1.05
0
50
100
150
200
SE
14.66d
15.07d
17.07bc
18.20b
21.67a
1.00
Fruit diameter
(cm)
Plant Crop
9.53c
10.34bc
11.87b
14.53a
13.77ab
0.73
Ratoon
10.47b
10.93b
11.60ab
13.56a
13.73a
0.74
Core diameter
(cm)
1.52c
1.81b
1.92b
2.14a
2.14a
0.17
1.60b
1.68b
1.70b
2.21a
2.30a
0.08
Means followed by the same letter(s) in each column are not significantly different (p<0.05) using
DMRT.
SE: Standard Error
Nkg ha
0
50
100
150
200
SE
0
50
100
150
200
SE
0
50
100
150
200
SE
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Plant Crop
Total soluble solid
(g/kg)
9.37c
17.01a
16.23a
15.07a
12.23b
0.39
Acidity
(%)
1.67a
1.43b
1.38b
1.22c
1.00d
0.22
Vitamin C
(mg/kg)
151.57a
148.30b
145.10b
140.23c
122.97d
1.44
Ratoon Crop
8.63c
19.60a
15.43a
14.07a
11.86b
0.40
1.53a
1.45b
1.34b
1.15c
0.84d
0.04
155.57a
149.30ab
143.10b
135.66c
118.53d
0.89
Means with the same letter in each column are not significantly different (p<0.05)
using DMRT.
SE: Standard Error
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