Behavior of fusarium-resistant pineapple hybrids in the extreme south of the state of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance and fruit quality of three new fusarium-resistant pineapple hybrids and one commercial cultivar, under the environmental conditions of the extreme south region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The experiments were carried out in the Belmonte and Eunápolis municipalities, in a randomized complete block design with four replicates and four treatments. The evaluation of the performance of the genotypes was based on variables of plant vegetative growth and on fruit size and quality. 'BRS Diamante' and 'BRS Sol Bahia' present a good vegetative vigor and produce large-sized fruit, while 'BRS Real' and 'BRS Imperial' show a lower and similar vigor, which results in the formation of smaller fruit. The new genotypes are of late cycle, taking from 173 to 220 days from flower induction to fruit harvest, with 'BRS Diamante' standing out as having the latest cycle. Fruit of the new hybrids show good quality with a moderate to high soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, indicating a good potential for consumer acceptance. The new genotypes show significant agronomic potential in the extreme south region of Bahia.