'BRS Ajubá', a New Pineapple Cultivar Resistant to Fusariosis and Adapted to Subtropical Conditions

摘要

In Brazil, the country of origin of the pineapple plant, just a few cultivars are of economic importance, above all the local cultivar 'Pérola' and 'Smooth Cayenne', well known internationally. In spite of their good acceptance for fresh consumption and processing, farmers would benefit from cultivars with at least one additional characteristic - resistance to fusariosis, a disease that causes major losses of fruits, plants and planting material. New resistant cultivars have been developed by Embrapa and released to the growers in recent years. The most recent the cultivar 'Ajubá' is a hybrid obtained in 1984 from a 'Perolera' × 'Smooth Cayenne' crossing. In evaluations in different Brazilian ecosystems, the 'Ajubá' pineapple adapted well to the subtropical conditions of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost State in Brazil, as observed during a regional trial over three cycles. The plant, resistant to fusariosis, is of intermediate height, with dark-green, spineless leaves. It has shown low incidence of early natural flowering under the environmental conditions of Porto Vera Cruz, Rio Grande do Sul. Its fruit is usually of intermediate weight, with a cylindrical shape, a yellow peel at mature stage, a yellow pulp and high sugar and moderate acid contents, characteristics adequate for both the fresh fruit market and processing. Its resistance to fusariosis eliminates at least three to four fungicide sprays usually needed right before and during anthesis, with a significant reduction in economic and environmental costs.