Cultivation Method of Pineapple

In Bangladesh, nearly in 14 thousand hectares of land, banana is cultivated. Banana is cultivated extensively in Sylhet, Moulovibazar, Chittagong, Chittagong hill tracts and Madhupur of Tangail. A large amount of pineapple is also grown in the districts of Dhaka, Narshindi, Comilla, Dinajpur. But since it is used in various types of processed food (Juice, jam, jelly etc.), pineapple has a special importance all over the world. Pineapple is also an important fruit in the international market as a commercial fruit. Now it is a cash crop in Bangladesh. Pineapple plays a special role in the international market as an export enterprise.

Varieties of Pineapple: There are three varieties found in Bangladesh. Such asHaniqueen, Giant kew and Ghorashal.
Production Technologies of Pineapple: The technologies are discussed below:
 
Soil and Land Preparation

1. Sandy or sandy-loam soil is suitable for pineapple cultivation.
2. The ploughing and laddering should be made such a way that the soil becomes friable and level and cannot stagnant rain water.
3. For planting seedlings, beds, each measuring 15 cm in height and 1 m in width should be made. The distance between two beds should be 50- 100 cm.
4. For cultivating pineapple in filly slope, the selected land should be such that its slope is not much higher.
5. The soil of the hilly slope should not lose by ploughing or spading, it should be made suitable for planting seedlings only by weeding.

Seedling Selection and Land Preparation: The propagation of pineapple is caused by only vegetative means. Generally four types of seedlings are produced in pineapple plants which are called suckers. The descriptions of the suckers are given below:

1. There are two types of seedlings produced on the upper end of the fruit. The seedling that produced straight on the upper end of the fruit is called crown seedling. The seedling originates from the base of the crown seedling is called crown slip. 
2. The seedlings that are produced from the base of the fruit is called root sucker.
3. The seedling that originates from below the base of the fruit but from the above ground stem is called stem sucker.
4. The seedling that originates from the under- ground stem is called stamp. Stamp and stem sucker are the most suitable for pineapple cultivation.

Planting of Seedlings:

1. The appropriate time for planting pineapple seedlings is mid Ashwin to mid Aghrayan.
2. The time of planting seedlings can be delayed for one or one and half month if there is irrigation facilities.
3. The seedlings have to be planted maintaining distance between lines 40 cm and between seedlings 30- 40 cm.

Methods of Fertilizer Application

1. The first step of fertilizer application method is to determine the amount of fertilizer. For pineapple, per plant fertilizers have to be applied as the following doses:

Name of fertilizers	Amount of fertilizers per plant (gm.)
Decomposed cow dung	290-310
Urea	30-36
TSP	10-15
MP	25-35
Gypsum	10-15

• The cow dung, TSP and gypsum should be mixed with soil during bed preparation.
• Urea and MP should be applied in 5 splits when the seedlings become 4- 5 month old. Fertilizers should be mixed well with soil.

Intercultural Operations:

1. Measures are to be taken to irrigate in dry season.
2. The canals are to be made to drain out excess water in rainy season. 
3. If the seedlings become very long, keeping 30 cm top leaves should be cut.
4. The pineapple land should be kept weed free. 
5. Pineapple field is not affected by so harmful insects and diseases. For that reason, pest management is not discussed.

Fruit Collection:

1. From Magh to Chaitra month, when seedling become of 15/16 months old, inflorescence of pineapple starts to come out.
2. From Jaistha to Vadro, pineapple ripens.
3. Fruit should be collected by cutting stalk from the bush.

Yield: Honey queen yields 20-25 tons and Giant kew yields 30-40 tons per hectare.