INFORMATION ABOUT PINEAPPLE PLANT ITSELF

- SOIL AND CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS: Pineapple grows over a wide range of

soils and climatic conditions but grows best at 150-240 m above sea level
with a temperature of 24-30 C.
Elevation - 150 to 240 m above sea level
Temperature - 24-30 C
Rainfall - relatively uniform throughout the year and should be between 100150 cm/yr.
Soil - sandy loam soil with high organic matter content. Drainage - welldrained soil with pH 4.5-5.5
- The pineapple is drought tolerant and will produce fruit under yearly
precipitation rates ranging from 25 to 150 in (650-3,800 mm), depending on
cultivar and location and degree of atmospheric humidity.
- The pineapple is a tropical or near tropical plant limited (except in
greenhouses) to low elevations between 30N and 25S. A temperature range
of 65-95F (18.33-45C) is most favorable, though the plant can tolerate
cool nights for short periods. Prolonged cold retards growth, delays maturity
and causes the fruit to be more acid. Altitude has an important effect on the
flavor of the fruit. Between 4500 and 5700 ft (1371-1738 m) the flavor is
most suitable for canning.
- Because of their tough leaves, they lose little water through evaporation.
- The growing conditions you provide your pineapple (Ananas comosus) have a
direct impact on the size of your plant and its fruit. The size of your pineapple
plant directly affects the size and quality of the fruit it can produce. Not
enough water or low temperatures can cause your pineapple to flower earlier,
preventing your plant from reaching its full size.
- Pineapple plants grow to their full size most readily in full sun at
temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Although a pineapple
can survive temperatures down to 28 F, exposure to temperatures below 60 F
significantly reduces growth. Pineapple plants are relatively drought-tolerant
but can suffer from decreased growth under extremely dry conditions. If you
are growing your pineapple in a sandy soil that holds little water, plan on
watering it once a week.
- Hot temperatures in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit can also affect the
growth of a pineapple. If you regularly experience summer temperatures in
the 90s or above, you may find that pineapple plants in your garden slow
down their growth during the heat of the summer. The ideal temperature
range for pineapple plants is from 65 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 70
percent to 80 percent humidity.
- Pineapples make use of a special type of photosynthesis, called crassulacean
acid metabolism (CAM). Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM
photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as
an adaptation to arid conditions. In a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the
leaves remain shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but open at
night to collect carbon dioxide (CO2).
- CAM plants can grow on dry, marginal lands that are unsuited for most crop
plants.

They found that some of the genes contributing to CAM photosynthesis are
regulated by the plant's circadian clock genes, which allow plants to
differentiate day and night and adjust their metabolism accordingly.
Pineapples are one of the most popular crops in the world. Over 25 million
metric tons are grown each year, making the pineapple second only to the
banana. Not only are pineapples wildly popular, but they are also one of the
worlds most drought resistant crops thanks to a unique type of
photosynthesis known as crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM).
Ultimately, pineapples use 80% less water than most other plants. This is
because CAM photosynthesis allows pineapples to close their pores during
the day and open them at night. As a result the plants lose very little
moisture through their leaves when the Sun is out, making them extremely
resilient in hot and arid climates.
Despite the high resistance of pineapple to drought, the effects of drought on
plant morphology and growth are important.
See book of Bartholomew, D.P. The Pineapple

INFORMATION ABOUT PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

- The Philippines is responsible for a large share of the worlds canned
pineapples, and pineapple juices in the US and Europe, as well as fresh
pineapple in Asia, mainly Japan.
- The Philippines is the second largest exporter of canned pineapples and
pineapple juice concentrates just after Thailand and the fourth largest
producer of pineapples worldwide (2011 figures) competing closely with
Brazil, Costa Rica, and Thailand.
- The pineapple production in the Philippines has been growing rapidly the last
couple of years. Nearly 90% of the countrys pineapples are grown in
Mindanao mainly in the northern and central parts of the island.
- The big industry can offer employment opportunities (around 400,000 of
Mindanao inhabitants work in the pineapple industry) and foreign investment
in the country.
- Most of the pineapples in the Philippines come from the second largest island
of the Philippines: Mindanao. The largest pineapple corporations are based
here, producing 80% of the countrys pineapples. Mindanao is considered to
be breadbasket of the Philippines and is therefore also known under the
name The Land of Promise.
INFORMATION ABOUT PINEAPPLE AND EFFECTS OF EL NIO (PH)

INFORMATION ABOUT PINEAPPLE AND EFFECTS OF EL NIO (GLOBAL)

- Reports coming in from the major pineapple growing regions throughout
Southeast Asia point to a continued supply shortage and high pineapple
prices. The El Nino effect is generating adverse weather conditions
throughout Thailand and Indonesia, with water shortages stunting fruit
growth and making harvests much smaller than usual. Thai packers are

claiming shortfalls of 15% in December 2015 when compared to the same

period in 2014, while Indonesian factories have started seeing up to 60% less
in raw material in the past months than the same period a year before. To
compound the issue, many factories are still working on filling back orders
from last season, which makes the limited raw material available that much
more of a commodity. These crop issues do not point towards any sort of
pricing relief on pineapple in the near future.
INFORMATION ABOUT PINEAPPLE AND OTHER THREATS (DISEASES, ETC.)