ENHANCED PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION IN NAGALAND: IMPACTOF SOIL AND RAINFALLAmod Sharma, B.K. Chaturvedi, S.C. Sharma and P.K. SharmaAbstract India is one of the major producers of pineapple contributing more than 8.00 per cent of the total worldproduction. Indian pineapple in the form of canned slices, titbits, juice and jam are exported to Europe,middle-east and beyond. Some of the other important pineapples growing countries of the world areHawaiian Islands, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya etc. Pineapple (Ananas comosus)is a herbaceous perennial crop belonging to the order Farinasae, family Bromeliaciae and is one of theimportant commercially grown tropical fruit in the world. It is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B andfairly rich in vitamin C, minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron. Although tropical in nature, pineapplecan adapt well to sub-tropical areas up to 1,100 m above sea level if the area is free from frost. Pineapple isone of the most important and leading fruit crop cultivated in Nagaland. Total area under crop was 2,045hectare with a production of 4,970 metric tonnes during 2015-16. Basically, âKewâ and âQueenâ varieties aregrown in the state. The pineapples grown here are marketed soon after the harvesting. The disposal ofpineapple for consumer in state is not satisfactory. |