EFFECTS OF PROPAGULES AND PLANTING PATTERNS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF PINEAPPLE

Pineapple (Ananascomosus L.) is an economically important tropical fruit crop valued for its nutritional, medicinal, and industrial uses. It contributes significantly to income generation and food security in many tropical regions, including Nigeria. However, productivity is often constrained by inappropriate selection of propagules and planting patterns. This study determined the effects of propagule type and planting patterns on vegetative growth, reproductive performance, and fruit yield of pineapple under the agro-ecological conditions of Ogidi Village, Orire Local Government Area, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Nigeria. The experiment consisted of a factorial combination of three propagule types (suckers, slips, and crowns) and two planting patterns (single-row and double-row) replicated four times. Data were collected on plant height, D-leaf length, number of leaves, days to flowering, days to fruiting, fruit length, fruit diameter, mean fruit weight, crown weight, and fruit yield. Propagule type significantly (P . 0.05) influenced all measured vegetative and reproductive parameters. Sucker-derived plants consistently exhibited superior vegetative growth, attaining the greatest plant height (118.83 cm), D-leaf length (41.57 cm), D-leaf width (10.90 cm), and leaf number (37.23 leaves) at 14 months after planting. Suckers also produced significantly higher fruit length (19.71 cm), fruit diameter (36.86 cm), fruit weight (1.779 kg), and crown weight (327.20 g) compared with slips and crowns.