Rapid Multiplication of Pineapple Suckers

Pineapple ranks next to citrus as raw materials for the fruit drink and fruit canning industries. The non-availability of large quantities of uniform planting materials has been identified as the serious limiting factor in the development of pineapple growing. Large quantities of uniform pineapple suckers can be obtained from (1) the crowns and (2) old pineapple stumps.

The use of crowns in the rapid multiplication of pineapple suckers:

An average pineapple crown (about 500 g by weight) is split longitudinally into 6 to 10 parts. The splits are treated with benlate fungicide at 2g/10 litres of water and closely sown in a 1:1 mixture of river sand and sawdust. Plantlets produced by these crown splits are detached and transplanted into the nursery bed. The plantlets are maintained in the nursery for six months when they would be ready for field transplanting.

The use of mature pineapple stumps for sucker production:

Uniform suckers can be obtained by the stimulation of the dormant axillary buds on the old pineapple stump. The stump is split longitudinally into six fairly equal parts. Each part is sectioned into setts of about 20 g by weight and ensuring that each sett carries at least 2 dominant axillary buds. The sections are sown in a rooting medium of 1:1 mixture of river sand and sawdust after treatment with benlate at 2g/10 litre of water. After sprouting, the growing buds are transferred to a nursery prepared with 1:1 mixture of river sand and sawdust and nursed for about 6 months when they are ready for field transplanting.

Source: Mall Holders.