Domingo Haroldo Reinhardt

ALTAS DENSIDADES DE PLANTIO NA CULTURA DO ABACAXI CV. SMOOTH CAYENNE, SOB CONDIÇÕES DE SEQUEIRO

In Brazil, relatively low planting densities have been used to obtain large fruits, with negative effects on pineapple crop yield. However, the international market, what may be followed by Brazilian consumers, is requiring smaller and smaller fruits. This work aimed in evaluating the effect of high densities in double row planting systems on the quantitative and qualitative production of Smooth Cayenne pineapple grown under rainfed conditions. Planting densities varying from 51.280 plants/ha to 100.000 plants/ha, were studied in a randomized blocks experimental design with five replications and 12 treatments in a factorial scheme of 4 x 3, corresponding to four combinations of spacing between double rows and between simple rows within double rows (90 x 40 cm, 90 x 30 cm, 80 x 30 cm, 70 x 30 cm), and to three spacing between plants within each row (30, 25 and 20 cm). The analyses of variance determined statistical difference only for the yield as a function of spacing between plants within the row, being the highest for 20 cm. Average fruit weight, dimensions and quality (sugars, acidity, juice content, sugar/acidity ratio) were not significantly influenced by the densities studied, keeping up the values within the cultivars patterns. For each increasing of 10.000 plants/ha yield grew by 8.27 t/ha and average fruit weight dropped by 102 g. Under the environmental conditions of the Coastal Tableland of North Bahia, Brazil, the Smooth Cayenne pineapple crop showed good potential for the use of high planting densities, even under rainfed cultivation, being possible to get yield above 80t/ha and average fruit weight over 1,0 kg.

Relações entre parâmetros de crescimento do fruto da manga cv. haden

A study carried out in a commercial orchard of the main mango production and exportation region in Northeast Brazil (Petrolina, Pernambuco State), showed a typical sigmoidal curve for fruit growth. In addition, a non destructive method for fruit growth measurements was searched by studying the relationships between fruit dry mass, fresh mass, volume and diameters for mango cv. Haden. Results showed that fruit mass can be estimated from fruit volume calculated by the product of the fruit diameters. Correlation studies gave coefficients (r2) above 0.91 for all periods of evaluation along fruit development, from full anthesis to harvest. In addition was observed that mango fruit fresh mass is affected by water deficit imposed during fruit development, a common local practice aiming the hastening of fruit maturation and the increasing of fruit sugar content.