Hearty pineapple is linked to Hawaii’s economic past

Pineapples have been associated with Hawaii from the plantations to the fruit’s presence on tables at luaus. But the origin of bromeliaceous plants to which pineapples belong is intertwined with the story of the New World.

The edible varieties of Ananas comosus are native to southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It was domesticated by the indigenous people of that region who carried it up through South and Central America. In 1493, Christopher Columbus arrived at the island of Guadeloupe in the West Indies where pineapples were grown.

The Indians called it “nana,” which may have meant “excellent fruit.” Today the scientific name of pineapple is A. comosus in the Bromeliaceae family. The Spaniards called it “pina” because the fruit looked like pine cones, and it later became known as the “Pine Apple.” No one knows for sure how it arrived in Hawaii, but the pineapple may have been brought into Hawaii by Spaniards in the 1500s.

Commercial pineapple cultivation in Hawaii began in the mid-1800s. The first sizable plantation, five acres, was established on Oahu in 1885. The pineapple industry has been important in the economic growth of Hawaii since the early 1900s. Being the second-largest agricultural industry to sugar, pineapples were responsible for thousands of jobs on the plantations, canneries and related occupations. Many families in Hawaii have their beginnings with immigrant workers in the sugar or pineapple plantations. Six of the main Hawaiian Islands once had pineapple plantations or canneries. Although there are no pineapple canneries in operation in Hawaii today, pineapples are grown for fresh-fruit markets, the largest plantations being on Oahu and Maui.

The most common commercial variety in Hawaii was Smooth Cayenne for the canneries. However for fresh-fruit production the main varieties now are MD2 and 73-50. Several growers on Kauai are producing the popular low-acidic pineapple varieties with yellow or white flesh.

Pineapple plants grow 2 1/2 to 5 feet high, spreading 3 to 4 feet, with a short stout stem and long pointed waxy leaves, arranged in a spiral rosette. Leaves are dark green, often with red or yellow stripes on the upper surface, light greenish-white beneath, covered with powdery hairlike trichomes. The inflorescence arises from the middle of the plant and is composed of up to 200 flowers, which fuse together to form the compound fruit with a tuft of short leaves on the top, the “crown.”

In Hawaii it takes between 18 to 22 months to produce the first fruit, depending on the planting material and growing conditions. The mother plant produces a plant crop and second crop a year later. The mother plant produces different types of planting materials, suckers come from the base of the mother plant and slips come from the peduncle that bore the fruit.

Pineapples can tolerate drought conditions but grow better when grown in adequate rainfall and good soil fertility. Good drainage of the soil is important in areas with high rainfall. Good fruit quality is produced in areas with cool night temperatures, sunny days and day temperatures of 70 to 85 degrees.

The major pests of pineapple plants are mealybugs and nematodes. Mealybugs are small, soft bodied, slow-moving insects covered with a whitish powder. They suck on the plant sap and excrete a sticky liquid which is high in sugar. The mealybugs are associated with a disease known as pineapple mealybug wilt, which is caused by a virus. Pineapple plants affected with the wilt often die without producing any fruit; however, if caught early and the mealybugs are removed, the plants might recover.

Nematodes are microscopic worms which live in the soil and invade the plant roots. Severe infestations will disrupt the plant’s ability to take up water and soil nutrients and ultimately kill the plant. Researchers are looking for methods to control nematodes without endangering the environment and our water supply such as solar radiation.

Richard Ebesu is an extension agent with the CTAHR Kauai Cooperative Extension Service. Glenn Taniguchi recently retired from CTAHR after many years working with pineapple.