MOST IMPORTANT PESTS AND DISEASES OF PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus)

INTRODUCTION

Ananas comosus is an herbaceous perennial plant, 1–1.5 meters tall, with 30 or more trough-shaped and pointed leaves, 30–100 cm long, surrounding a thick stem. Among common cultivars, the leaves of the Smooth Cayenne cultivar mostly lack spines except at the leaf tip, but the Spanish and Queen cultivars have large spines along the leaf margins.

Use:

Pineapple is cultivated predominantly for its fruit that is consumed fresh or as canned fruit and juice. Pineapple is the only source of bromelain, a complex proteolytic enzyme used in the pharmaceutical market and as a meat-tenderising agent. The stems and leaves of pineapple plant are also a source of fibre that is white, creamy and lustrous as silk. Pineapple fibre has been processed into paper with remarkable qualities of thinness, smoothness and pliability. Parts of the plant are used for silage and hay for cattle feed. Processing wastes in the form of shell, core materials and centrifuged solids from juice production are also used as animal feed. Alcoholic beverages can also be made from juice.

 

Pest and Disease Management:

Common pests infesting vegetative propagules are mealybugs, scale and pineapple red mites. In addition to these pests, the diseases termed heart rot, root rot, fruit rot and butt rot may be major problems when handling, storing or planting fresh materials. Two types of plant viruses a cloisterovirus and a bacilliform also infect pineapples. Other pests and diseases of pineapple are as the following:

 

Myriapods

• Symphilids: Symphilids are small centipedes that feed on roots. Plants suffer from nutrition deficiency, their development is reduced. As symphilids are not present uniformly in the soil, it creates “pockets” of plants attacked by symphilids in the middle of healthy plants.

 

Insects

• Mealybug: Mealybugs usually inhabit the axils of the leaves, the basis of suckers, the aerial roots, and the basis of the fruits. They transmit diseases and are associated with the devastating disease, pineapple mealybug wilt. Mealybugs feed on the pineapple plant sap which has an impact on the size of the pineapple fruit and produces chlorotic areas.

FUNGI OF PINEAPPLE

• Heart rot: Heart rot enters through the heart of the plant and causes death in contaminated plants.
• Black rot: Black rot enters through the peduncle and injuries in the skin of the pineapple.
• Black spot: Black spot infection starts from one fruitlet (floral cavity) of the fruits. Infected fruits are not suitable for exports as black spots develop in the fruits. Infected fruits are not suitable for exports as black spots develop in the fruits. These symptoms appear 5-6 days after the harvest.

 

NEMATODES OF PINEAPPLE

These nematodes invade the tips of primary roots and stop them from elongating. Plant roots infected with nematodes often become more susceptible to other diseases. In addition, affected plants are often stunted. The pineapple plants infested with nematodes present the same symptoms as when suffering from nutrients deficiency and drought.

OTHER DISEASES OF PINEAPPLE

• Mealybug Wilt: Wilt is a virus partly transmitted by mealybugs. It affects the root system causing leaves to turn deep pink, yellowing and wilting. As a result of this, fruits may fail to develop or remain small, fibrous and sour.

Information provided by https://pip.coleacp.org

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