Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore-6.
A trial to find out the optimum planting density in Kew pineapple was conducted at Hessaraghatta from 1970–72. Six planting densities ranging from 43,036 to 63,758 per hectare were compared. The trial revealed that the planting density of 63,758 plants/ha was the best, resulting in an estimated yield of 105.78 tons/ha without crown compared to 66.64 tons obtained with planting density of 43036 plants per hectare. Plants in this planting density on an average flowered in 461 days at 35 leaf stage. Flowering was completed within 37.5 days after initiation. Fruits in this treatments could be harvested within 159 days after flower emergence. Average fruit weight obtained from this treatment was 1.860 kg with crown and 1.659 kg without the crown. Fairly large and cylindrical fruit with 17.4 cm length and 12.3 cm breadth and with a canning ratio of 0.94 were harvested. The sucker and slip production was also maximum in this density with an average of 102 suckers and 432 slips per hundred plants.
