Productive Performance and Vitamin C Content in Ananas comosus L. Merrill Submitted to Different Periods of Flower Induction

摘要

The aim of this study was to analyse the production of pineapple cultivars 'Perola' and 'Smooth Cayenne' using slips under sprinkler irrigation and after artificial flower induction with ethephon at 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 months after planting. The fruits were harvested six months after flower induction in April, May, June, July and August of 2003. Analysis included fruit weight without the crown (FWC), the firmness of the pulp, the Brix/Acidity ratio, the pH value and vitamin C content (VC). To find the best productive performance and to determine the optimum time for flower induction of these cultivars the adaptability and yield stability was investigated by applying the Lin and Binns (1988) methodology. For the FWC characteristic, the cultivar 'Smooth Cayenne' revealed a P_i 284,9424 and 'Pérola' P_i 17019,3931, showing the better productive performance of 'Smooth Cayenne' even under unfavorable environmental conditions with P_i equal to 0.0. For the VC concentration, 'Pérola' revealed with 31.125 mg 100 g~(-1) and a P_i of 0.0 a better performance compared to 'Smooth Cayenne' with a VC concentration of 10.804 mg 100 g~(-1) and a P_i 250.1294. By differentiation in favorable and unfavorable environments P_i was 0.0 for 'Perola', demonstrating a high production of vitamin C.