It takes about 120-180 days for pineapple to mature from inflorescence. Since pineapple has three periods of budding, fruit maturity is also divided into three periods:
- Buds are drawn from February to March, and mature from June to August, accounting for about 62% of the whole year. The fruits in this period are called normal fruit, small fruit and good quality;
- Buds are drawn from April to May, and mature from September to October, accounting for about 25% of the whole year. The fruits in this period are called second fruit, and the quality is similar to normal fruit;
- Buds are drawn from June to July, and mature from November to December, accounting for about 13% of the whole year. The fruits in this period are called third fruit, large fruit and poor quality.
If the buds are drawn later than July, the maturity period will be delayed to January to February of the following year. In addition, due to the inconsistent size of seedlings during planting and low management level, the buds are inconsistent and the fruit maturity is also inconsistent, which is not conducive to management.
The application of Ethephon to ripen pineapples can achieve better results. The concentration of Ethephon is generally 500~1000mg/L, and its concentration and treatment time should be determined according to the weather and the maturity of the fruit.
For fruits harvested in summer, the temperature is high and the fruit matures quickly. It should be ripened 10~15 days in advance, and the concentration should be low, preferably 500~800mg/L; for fruits harvested in winter, the temperature is low and the fruit matures slowly, so it should be ripened 15~20 days in advance.
If the fruit is close to maturity, the concentration of Ethephon should be low; if the fruit maturity is low, the concentration can be appropriately increased. It is easy to ripen pineapple fruits with Ethephon, but in order to ensure the yield and quality of the fruit, the fruit maturity should be more than 70% to ripen.
When the peel changes from green to mung bean green, it is the most suitable time to use the drug. The method of spraying is to spray directly and evenly on the fruit surface, and spray the fruit surface as the degree.
The spraying of the fruit should be uniform so that the coloring can be consistent. Do not spray the liquid on the sucker, otherwise it will induce the sucker to bloom early.
The appearance of the ripened fruit is good, but the flavor is worse than that of the naturally ripened fruit. The ripened fruit is not resistant to storage and transportation. It is advisable to sell or process it as soon as possible.
Using Ethephon 1500~2000ml/L to ripen the thornless caine can make the fruit mature 7~15 days earlier and the maturity is uniform.
About 20 days before the pineapple is harvested, spray the entire fruit surface with an Ethephon solution of 800~1000ml/L evenly until a small amount of liquid flows down, which can make the pineapple mature earlier and the maturity is uniform. If the spraying is uneven, the maturity will be inconsistent.
After being treated with 500~2000ml/1, Ethephon, the cultivated pineapple will turn yellow within 8 days. Apply 5L Ethephon per hectare (15 mu) 9 days before harvesting, and the fruit can mature uniformly.