Soil Preparation
Pineapples thrive in light soils with relatively low pH.
Soil Preparation - Sub-Soiling
This process relieves compaction, promotes air and water movement, and mixes crop residue which improves aerobic microbial decomposition resulting in good quality humus formation. Crops growing on loose, well aerated soils will develop extensive root systems.
Soil Preparation - Sub-Soiling
Calcium is also added to the soil bed during this process.
Soil Preparation - Discing
Discing is then done in order to granulate the soil prior to forming the beds.
Soil Preparation - Primary Drainage
With Nigeria's tropical climate and high amount of precipitation, extensive drainage is necessary to facilitate the rapid evacuation of excess water.
Soil Preparation - Bedding
Once the soil is ready, elevated beds are created to further protect the root systems from saturation and to create a favorable growing environment.
Soil Preparation - Secondary Drainage
After the raised planting beds are prepared, surface drains are created to insure quick evacuation of rain from between the beds.
Planting - Seed (pineapple sucker) Selection
Only the healthiest and strongest planting material is harvested and then it's separated by size and weight.
Planting - Seed (pineapple sucker) Harvest
Pineapple seed (pineapple sucker) is harvested from the plants of the previous crop.
Planting - Seed (pineapple sucker) Harvest
The newly harvested seed (pineapple sucker) is graded by size before being transported to the field to be planted.
Seed (pineapple sucker) Distribution
The harvested seed (pineapple sucker) is transported as quickly as possible to the next fields. It's planted within 24 hours of harvest to insure highest potential for successful fast root development and growth.
Planting
All planting is done by hand in evenly spaced and uniform rows. It's important that the plants develop at the same rate in order to receive equal amounts of nutrients and sun light and yield a uniform crop.
The cultivation process begins with continual foliar analysis of the plants to monitor composition and nutritional balance. The plants are also continually monitored for any signs of insects, blemishes and diseases.
Cultivation Practices - Fertilization
All nutrients applications are topical or foliar and absorbed by the leaves and the new roots at the base of the developing leaves.
Cultivation Practices - Erosion Control
With a strong company culture of sustainable farming practices, we go to great lengths to exercise good soil husbandry.
Plant Growth
At the 7-8th month the plants are ready to be induced for flowering.
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For detailed production procedure, please send a mail to md2pineapplegrower@gmail.com

Learn more about fertilizer application


For detailed production procedure, please send a mail to [url]md2pineapplegrower@gmail.com[/url]

History of MD2 Pineapple
With pineapple consumption continually on the rise due to increased availability from emerging growing locations, the MD2 hybrid was developed to satisfy a market looking for exceptional sweetness as well as uniformity and consistency in size and ripeness.

Prior to the Mid 1990's
the primary consumption of pineapple outside of the tropics was out of a can. Smooth Cayenne was the principle variety both for "canned" pineapple as well as the limited production for fresh consumption. Another variety known as Champaka which is a PRI clone of Perfect Pineapple Smooth Cayenne was later grown for fresh consumption but never received wide reception due to the relatively high acidity of this variety.

In 1961, the Pineapple Research Institute (PRI) in Hawaii was charged with the responsibility of producing a variety that could be grown and accepted for fresh consumption. However, the mind-set remained on Smooth Cayenne and processing and no new varieties were tested except for small field trials.

The PRI, which was funded by the large pineapple companies, was dissolved in 1975 and the evaluation of all hybrid seedlings was completed at the Maui Pineapple Company by 1985 with several PRI selections being released to PRI member companies.

In 1993 a historical review of the PRI breeding program was written and indicated after 58 years that the pineapple breeding program did develop some PRI hybrids that had numerous characteristics better than Smooth Cayenne but gave no indication that a cultivar had been produced that would transform the world's fresh fruit export industry as all of them had flaws that prevented them from replacing Smooth Cayenne.

Despite this review, two selections, 73-50 and 73-114 resulting from the cross between two PRI hybrids, 58-1184 and 59-443 which are complex mixtures of several varieties, each more than 50% Smooth Cayenne, were identified. Between 1973 and 1980 testing of these two selections were made in Maui and between 1978 and 1980 were also tested in plantations on Oahu. In 1980, both lines were released to Maui Pineapple Company and Del Monte for further evaluations. In 1981, 73-50 was renamed MD-1 for internal use and 73-114 was named MD-2. Both were named after Millie, the wife of Frank Dillard, then General M

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anager of the pineapple company. 73-50 is now more widely known as CO-2.

In the mid 80's, MD-2 plants were shipped to Costa Rica. It is reported that it was the tenacity of two of the researchers that finally convinced their management to expand plantings and begin test marketing in the early 90's. This variety was originally introduced into Europe and then to the United States growing to $200 million dollars in sales by 1996.

MD-2 has now replaced Smooth Cayenne world-wide except for some small areas of production in Africa. It is now grown in several countries such as Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico but Costa Rica is by far the leading producing country with a reported 47,000 hectares of plantations.

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