INFLUÊNCIA DA ÉPOCA DE INDUÇÃO FLORAL E DO TAMANHO DA MUDA NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DO ABACAXIZEIRO EM IPORÁ - GO

Abstract

The pineapple plant is cultivated in nearly all Brazilian states, with significant economic and social importance. The uniformity of the crop cycle and flowering of the plants in a field varies with the type and size of the seedlings used, as well as the plant's age at the time of floral induction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of seedling weight used for planting and the plant's age at the time of floral induction on the development and productivity of the pineapple crop cultivated in Iporá. The experiment was set up using a randomized block design, with treatments consisting of seedlings from two size classes: seedlings weighing 200 to 300 grams and seedlings weighing over 300 to 450 grams. The "D" leaf measurement and leaf count were taken during the crop development. Floral induction was carried out at 6, 8, and 10 months after planting, followed by fruit evaluation. In the fifth month of evaluation, the data indicated a greater "D" leaf length in plants grown from smaller seedlings, similar to the results observed in the sixth month of evaluation. Regarding the number of leaves per plant, larger seedlings outperformed. The percentage of visible inflorescences at 50 days after floral induction was higher in plants induced in the eighth and tenth months. Fruits harvested from plants induced at 6 months had a higher concentration of total soluble solids (°Brix) compared to the other induction periods. There was no influence of seedling size on the analyzed variables. Floral induction at 8 and 10 months showed a better percentage of inflorescences and higher fruit quantity, indicating that these are the best times for floral induction.