Jr. Cipriano M. Ticman,
from the institute of the Philippines. Wrote a research article, Boosting
Pineapple Growth and Fruit Quality Through Fertilization. Entitled, Enhancing
growth, yield, and fruit quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus) with organic and
inorganic fertilizer applications. This research paper published by the International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research | IJAAR. an open access scholarly
research journal Agronomy. under the affiliation of the International
Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary
research journal publisher.
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizer applications on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) under field conditions at the Institute of Agricultural Technology, Isabela State University, Cauayan Campus, Philippines. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three fertilizer treatments: organic fertilizer (OF), inorganic fertilizer (IF), and an integrated combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers (IF+OF). Growth parameters, yield components, and fruit quality attributes were assessed and analyzed using analysis of variance, with mean separation performed at p ≤ 0.05. Organic fertilizer application significantly enhanced vegetative growth, producing the tallest plants (98.4 cm), the highest number of leaves (42.3 leaves plant⁻¹), and the greatest stem diameter (6.42 cm), compared with inorganic fertilizer treatment. Yield performance was also improved under OF and IF+OF treatments, which recorded higher fruit numbers (1.42 and 1.36 fruits plant⁻¹, respectively) than IF. The highest mean fruit weight was obtained from OF-treated plants (1.78 kg), while IF resulted in comparatively lighter fruits (1.44 kg). Fruit quality was strongly influenced by fertilizer source. Pineapples produced under organic fertilization exhibited the highest soluble solids content (15.6 °Brix), larger fruit diameter (13.8 cm), and superior sensory scores (8.1 on a 9-point hedonic scale). Integrated fertilization produced intermediate values across most quality parameters, whereas inorganic fertilizer alone resulted in lower sugar content and sensory ratings. Overall, the results indicate that organic and integrated fertilizer applications improve pineapple growth, yield, and fruit quality more effectively than inorganic fertilizer alone, highlighting their potential role in sustainable pineapple production systems.
Introduction
Pineapple (Ananas
comosus L.) is one of the most important tropical fruit crops worldwide, valued
for its distinctive flavor, nutritional composition, and economic significance.
It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions, where it
contributes substantially to farm income, agro-industrial development, and food
security. In the Philippines, pineapple production represents a major component
of the horticultural sector, supporting both domestic consumption and
exportoriented markets (López et al., 2019).
Optimizing pineapple
growth, yield, and fruit quality remains a key challenge in commercial
production systems. Among the agronomic factors influencing pineapple
performance, nutrient management plays a central role. Inorganic fertilizers
have traditionally been used to enhance crop productivity due to their high
nutrient concentration and rapid availability to plants (Ali et al., 2017).
However, intensive reliance on mineral fertilizers has raised concerns related
to soil degradation, nutrient imbalance, and environmental contamination,
particularly in tropical agroecosystems where nutrient leaching and soil
acidification are common (Khan et al., 2017; Bai and Zhong, 2019).
Organic fertilizers,
such as compost and animal manure, have gained increasing attention as
sustainable alternatives or complements to mineral fertilizers. These inputs
contribute to soil organic matter accumulation, improve soil structure, enhance
microbial activity, and promote gradual nutrient release, thereby supporting
longterm soil fertility (Verma et al., 2018). Several studies have demonstrated
that organic fertilization can improve crop growth and yield while also
enhancing fruit quality attributes, including sweetness, flavor, and texture
(Sanyal and Nayak, 2017; Jha and Agarwal, 2021).
Recent research has
emphasized the potential benefits of integrated nutrient management, which
combines organic and inorganic fertilizers to balance immediate nutrient supply
with sustained soil health improvement. Such systems have been shown to
increase nutrient use efficiency, stabilize crop performance, and reduce the
negative environmental impacts associated with excessive mineral fertilizer use
(Giri et al., 2020; Kumar and Chaudhary, 2020). In pineapple cultivation,
integrated fertilization strategies have been reported to improve yield
components while maintaining desirable fruit quality characteristics (Singh and
Rajput, 2019; Pérez and Rivera, 2021).
Despite these advances,
comparative field-based evaluations of organic, inorganic, and integrated
fertilization regimes under local production conditions remain limited,
particularly with respect to their combined effects on growth, yield, and
sensory quality of pineapple. Understanding how different nutrient sources
influence these parameters is essential for developing sustainable
fertilization practices tailored to tropical environments.
Therefore, the present
study aimed to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer, inorganic
fertilizer, and their integrated application on the growth performance, yield
components, and fruit quality of pineapple grown under field conditions at
Isabela State University, Philippines. The findings are expected to contribute
to improved nutrient management strategies that support both productivity and
fruit quality in pineapple production systems.
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