Pineapple origin, variety and production environment

Pineapple is a fruit of the Bromeliaceae family. It has good beauty effects and is colorful, fragrant and delicious. Let’s learn about this fruit together.

Pineapple

The original name of the plant is pineapple. The origin of this name can be found in the Taiwan Prefecture Annals: "Pineapple, thin and broad leaves with thorns on the edges, the fruit grows in the leaves, the peel is like jackfruit but yellow, sweet and slightly sour, with a cluster of green leaves at the tip, shaped like a phoenix tail, hence the name." The Qing Dynasty Plant Names and Realities Illustrated Records records: "The name is Bo Luo Lu Dan Zi, because pineapple, jackfruit, and pandanus fruit all have protrusions on the surface, so the name is mixed."

Pineapple is native to South America. There are still wild species in Brazil. From there, they were spread to the West Indies, Central and South America, and then to all parts of the world. In the 16th century, they were introduced to India, Malaysia, Africa, and other parts of the East. In my country, the Portuguese first introduced it to Macau in 1605, and then from Macau to Guangdong and Hainan Island, and then from Hainan Island to Fujian and Taiwan. Taiwan began to cultivate pineapples in the late Kangxi period (about 1694 AD), which is about 300 years ago.

Pineapple is not only beautiful in shape, juicy and sweet, but also rich in nutrition. In addition to reducing sugar, sucrose, protein, crude fiber and organic acid, pineapple pulp also contains vitamin C, carotene, thiamine, niacin and other vitamins necessary for the human body. The protease contained in pineapple juice, peel and stem can help digest protein and increase appetite; medically, it has the effects of treating various inflammations, indigestion, diuresis, menstruation, and expelling parasites, and has a certain medical effect on the nerves and stomach.

In addition, pineapple is not only a rich source of fruit, but also an important economic crop. In addition to being eaten as a large amount of fruit, it can also be processed into canned pineapple, beverages, jams, etc. for sale at home and abroad.

Pineapple Origin

Pineapple is native to South America. There are still wild species in Brazil. From there, they were spread to the West Indies, Central and South America, and then to all parts of the world. Around the 16th century, they were introduced to India, Malaysia, Africa and the East. At present, pineapple is widely distributed between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, becoming one of the world's important fruit trees. The main cultivation areas in my country are Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Taiwan, Fujian, Yunnan and other provinces (regions).

Pineapple growing environment

Pineapple belongs to the Bromeliaceae family. It is a perennial herbaceous fruit tree plant with rapid growth and short production cycle. It can grow all year round in areas with an annual average temperature above 23°C. Pineapple is relatively shade-tolerant, but it grows well with sufficient sunlight, has a high sugar content and good quality. Excessive light and high temperature will turn the leaves red and yellow, and the fruit will also be easily burned. Pineapple has a wide adaptability to soil, and prefers loose, well-drained, rich in organic matter, and sandy loam or mountain red soil with a pH value of 5~.

Pineapple varieties

At present, the main pineapple varieties cultivated in my country are Queen, Caine and Spanish.

The main characteristics of the Queen type are that the plant is medium-sized, the leaf margins have thorns, the flowers are light purple, the skin is yellow, the fruit eyes are deep, the fruitlets are protruding, the flesh is yellow to dark yellow, the flavor is sweet, the fiber is low, and the fruit is good for processing and canning or eating fresh. Cultivated varieties include Queen, Golden Queen, "Philippines" (Bali), Natal, Shenwan, Ruby, etc.

The main characteristics of the cain are that the plant is tall and upright, the leaf margins are thornless or have a few thorns near the tip, the fruit is large and oblong, the peel is orange-yellow to bronze, the fruit eyes are flat and light, the flesh is light yellow to yellow, the flavor is sweet, medium acid, the fiber is soft and tough, and juicy, and the fruit has good canning properties. Cultivated varieties include thornless cain ("Hawaii", "Sarawak"), Taifeng, Xilu, etc.

The Spanish species has two types: thorny and thornless. The plant is medium-sized; slightly open, with long and wide leaves, light green with red; and bright red petals. The main varieties include Spanish native species, Singapore pot species, Cabizona, etc.