Pineapples are the second most in-demand fruits after Mango. These fruits are a combination of sweet and tangy flavours, and moreover, have a spiny texture.
Pineapple is one of the nutritious and delicious fruits that have spines and thorns all over it. This piny fruit, rich in sweet & tangy taste, is native to Central America and South America, the Caribbean,
In India, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, North Eastern parts, Goa, Bihar, and Goa are leading producers of pineapple fruits.
Pineapple is a herbaceous plant that is known as Ananas comosus in botany. The plant, once mature, can grow up to a height of 1.5 metres. Moreover, when the crop is mature, the stem appears stocky with waxy, thick leaves. In addition, the mature plant bears 200 flowers that later coalesce to develop spiny fruit- pineapple further.
Interested in Pineapple cultivation? Before you acquire knowledge about the best farming mechanisation solutions from Preet tractor, take note of the following technical steps for growing high-yielding pineapple crops:
How to Grow High-Yielding Pineapples in India?
- Climate for Pineapple crops
For pineapple cultivation, a humid climate with ample rainfall is ideal for a pineapple plantation. The coastal region is ideal for pineapple cultivation in India, with temperatures ranging between 22 and 32⁰C.
Moreover, to grow leaves of high quality, maintain a temperature of 32⁰C; however, for growing roots, maintain a temperature of 29⁰C. For pineapple fruits, the climate shouldn’t be less than 20⁰C and more than 36⁰C.
The difference between day and night temperature should be just 4⁰C only. A high temperature at night should be avoided to produce better crops. The annual rainfall should be between 100-150 cm annually.
- Soil requirements for Cultivating Pineapple
Pineapples are suitable to grow in a variety of soil with a ph ranging between 5.5 and 6.0. Moreover, the sandy loam is the most ideal for pineapple cultivation in India.
The most basic requirement for pineapple farming is the soil must be well-drained. The best thing is the soil can thrive even in slightly acidic soil.
This crop is also suitable to grow in heavy, clay soil with good water drainage properties. Alluvial & laterite soils are also ideal for growing pineapples in India.
- Irrigation & Watering
Coastal areas with abundant rainfall generally prefer growing pineapples. Though pineapples don’t require enough rainfall, to get good-sized fruit, make sure to provide enough water or irrigation to the field.
Moreover, irrigation is highly beneficial if you grow it in the off-season. This way, you can ensure year around production of pineapples. By doing this, you can grow pineapples by exporting to global markets.
Moreover, if you are growing this pine fruit in hot weather, where rainfall is scarce, consider providing irrigation at least once in two weeks.
- Planting Material
You can grow these gigantic fruits from previous plants’ propagating crowns, slip and suckers. You will notice the crowns become fruit-bearing right after 19-20 months. Using the tissue culture method, you can grow different cultivars or varieties of pineapple for commercial trading.
- Land Preparation in Pineapple Farming
Ensure you plough and level the land enough times with good quality ploughing implement attached to optimum Kubota tractor. Do the process until the land reaches fine tilth. Moreover, eliminate contaminants such as weeds, crop residues, rocks, and stones during the process for effective sowing.
The land must be drugged deep for a better sowing process. You can sow the trenches up to 15-30 cm deep at 90 cm apart. Experts say August to October or April to May is the ideal time for sowing so that you can avoid harvest during the rainy season.
- Planting for Pineapple
Pineapples are propagated from the previous plants’ crown, sucker and slip. To cultivate good quality crops, you would need crowns, slips and suckers. Crowns bear flowers 19-20 months after plantation, whereas slips and suckers bear flowers 12 months after plantation.
Moreover, ensure that the planting material for the crop is 5-6 months old. Also, take into account that slips & suckers used for commercial purposes take quite some more time to blossom or flower. Moreover, the material you are deciding to use must be of equal size, avoiding any non-uniformity in their size. You can dig the field and add the slips and suckers in the created trenches.
- Harvesting of Pineapples
Pineapples become ready to harvest typically within 2-2.5 years of sowing. The cop becomes flower-bearing within 12-15 months after planting, and moreover, it becomes fruit-bearing within 15-18 months.
Which is the Best Time for Pineapple Planting?
Pineapples are ready to be planted 12-15 months before flowering. The flowering season typically falls in the months of December & March. The planting season varies from region to region and can also depend on the onset of the monsoon, annual precipitation, and its overall intensity.
Karnataka prefers sowing pineapple in April- June. While states like Kerala & Assam prefer to sow from August to October months. Pineapple cultivation must not be practised if there is a heavy rainy period. The ideal time for cultivation in different states across India is as below:
| Name of the State | Time of Cultivation |
| Assam & other North Eastern States | August to October |
| Kerala & Karnataka | April to June |
| Northern parts of West Bengal | October to November |
| Other parts of West Bengal | June to July |
These are the technical tips you must follow to grow good-quality pineapple crops in India.
