The Center for Scientific Research of Yucatan (CICY) is experimenting with two pineapple varieties on the grounds of the Technological University of Mayab to discover exactly when they should deliver the suckers of this plant to producers to transplant them correctly, stated researcher Nancy Santana Buzzy.
Santana Buzzy said they were studying the smooth Cayenne and the MD2 pineapple varieties, and that the results they obtain will help them to know what the right moment to deliver the plant's suckers is; in addition, they will also know how well they adapted to the conditions of the terrain.
Nancy Santana said that 90% of the pineapple that is grown is for fresh consumption and that the sector needed to increase production to cover this fruit's market.
"Despite its demand, pineapple is not produced on a large scale, which is why we're seeking to give producers another option," she added.
"These two pineapple varieties are sweet and we will see how they adapt, which is why we're recording all the information regarding this crop. We are in an experimental process and our goal is to produce suckers that may be available to producers. Generally producers take the suckers from the plants to sow them; however, each plant only produces four to five suckers through the traditional method, which is insufficient for the surface being worked. As a result, the producers that want to plant pineapple have to buy the suckers from other states, usually from Veracruz, and the plants don't always arrive healthy," she said.
Source: Diario de Yucatan