Caribbean Pineapple Production and

Caribbean Pineapple Production and Post Harvest Manual

Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security (Project GTFS/RLA/141/ITA)

(FAO Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety ? Government of Italy Contribution)

Written by Gregory Robin, Ronald Pilgrim, Sharon Jones and Dorian Etienne

Published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)

2011 1

Acknowledgements

Consultant technical writers: Gregory Robin CARDI, St Vincent; Technical Coordinator, OECS Ronald Pilgrim CARDI, St Lucia Sharon Jones CARDI, Dominica Dorian Etienne CARDI, Dominica

Consultant technical reviewer: Bruce Lauckner

Disclaimer

"The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or of CARDI concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO, or CARDI in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of FAO, or CARDI".

Consultant graphic design and layout:

Cheringdell Depradine

This manual is a revision and reprint of the publication, entitled "A Guide for Sustainable Production of Export Grade Pineapple in Dominica". Written by Gregory Robin, Ronald Pilgrim and Mervyn St Luce for the Nature Island Pineapple Producers Association, NIPPA of Dominica and published in 2008 by CARDI and NIPPA. The revision and reprint was supported by FAO and the Italian funded Promoting CARICOM/ CARIFORUM Food Security Project (GTFS/ RLA/141/ITA).

All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials and all other queries on rights and licences, should be addressed by email to copyright@ or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.

? FAO and CARDI, 2011

Front Cover - Collage of two photographs

1. Pineapples offered for sale. Source - CARDI

2. Pineapples growing in field with black plastic mulch. Source - CARDI

CARDI PSC #: DO/002/11 ISBN 978-92-5-106967-7

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Table of Contents

PREFACE

5

INTRODUCTION

7

PART 1 ? GENERAL INFORMATION FOR MAKING APPROPRIATE MARKETING

AND PRODUCTION DECISIONS

8

Marketing 9

Description of the plant and fruit 9

Commercial varieties10

Highlights of CARDI's research on varietal characteristics

14

Ecological adaptations, soil and climatic requirements and site selection

18

PART 2 ? PRODUCTION: GROWING AND HARVESTING A HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE

CROP OF PINEAPPLES

19

Features of a sustainable pineapple production system20

Land preparation22

Planting materials: types, selection and preparation for planting24

Crop establishment27

Fertiliser use and application28

Weed control

29

Major pests and management options32

Major diseases and management options35

Artificial flower induction37

Harvesting, in-field handling and transport38 3

PART 3 ? POST HARVEST

44

Post harvest handling45

On ? farm handling and transport

45

Final preparation of the fruit

46

Managing post harvest loss

50

PART 4 ? PRODUCTIVITY

53

Yields54

Price cost margins54

Further reading 57

Appendix 1: Cost of production (EC$) of 1 ha of pineapple in Dominica. Gross margin projections56

Appendix 2: Conversion factors for metric and imperial units

59

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Preface

This manual describes the best practices in all aspects of commercial pineapple production and post-harvest handling, utilising materials, technologies and support services that are generally available to the Caribbean farmer. The manual incorporates the principles of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for the production and delivery of pineapple to consumers as a safe, wholesome commodity. This manual is a revision and reprint of the 2008 publication, "A Guide for Sustainable Production of Export Grade Pineapple in Dominica" written by Gregory Robin, Ronald Pilgrim and Mervyn St Luce for the Nature Island Pineapple Producers Association (NIPPA) of Dominica. The format and arrangement of this manual closely follows that of the original manuscript but the information has been revised to be applicable to the wider Caribbean. The content of this revision is divided into four main parts. Part 1 gives key information for choosing an appropriate marketing strategy based on the quality demands of the various marketing outlets, selecting the most suitable varieties to meet those demands and indicates the agronomic requirements of the crop so that an appropriate cropping system may be designed. Part 2 describes in detail the required crop management programmes to grow and harvest a productive crop of pineapples. Part 3 which deals with post harvest aspects explains the on-farm and off farm handling and post harvest practices that ensure that the pineapples reach the buyer in the best possible condition. Part 4 gives information on yields and productivity and includes an example of a price cost analysis for 1 ha of pineapple. Additionally, country specific information relevant to the production and post-harvest aspects of pineapples in Dominica is included in the sleeve of the manual.

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Introduction

The commercial pineapple is the fleshy fruit produced by some varieties of the plant Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. which is a tropical member of the plant family, Bromeliaceae.

The first record of pineapples by Europeans was given by Columbus in a letter to a friend where he describes a fruit that he and his men tasted on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas, that was "in the shape of a pine cone, twice as big...is excellent and seems to be wholesome". At the time of its `discovery' by Columbus the pineapple was already a widely distributed domesticated plant throughout most of tropical South America and the West Indies as a result of being carried from its place of origin in southern Brazil by the region's indigenous Guarani tribes on their subsequent migrations. However, following its introduction to Europe by Columbus and other early explorers, the cultivation of pineapples spread rapidly throughout the world to many tropical and subtropical regions, during the 16th and 17th centuries, due to the widespread appeal of the fruit and its associated symbolism of hospitality and wealth. Since the end of the 17th century and continuing today, the plant has been the subject of many research programmes to develop improved germplasm to address several production challenges and meet changing market demands.

Originally, pineapples were eaten only as a fresh fruit. With the development of the processing industry, the fruit is now prepared, canned and consumed in various forms such as pineapple chunks, slices, juices, syrups, jams, marmalade, crushed and dried pineapple. Pineapples are also used in cereals and as a snack food. Pineapple fruits are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, copper and manganese. Wine can also be made from pineapples. Fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice contain a protein-digesting enzyme, bromelain, which can be used as a meat tenderiser. In the Philippines and Taiwan, the leaves of a particular cultivar are longer than normal and yield 2 - 3% of a strong white silky fibre, which is used for making a fine fabric called pi?a cloth.

Pineapples are an important non-traditional crop in the Caribbean where the increased commercialisation of local production is often featured in diversification programmes. In the Caribbean pineapples are widely grown in an extremely diverse range of production systems, from collection of wild types and small scale pure stand and integrated systems based on the local and highly adapted varieties to the intensive production systems utilising improved selections.

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