Pineapple is one of the commercially important fruit crops of India. It is one of the choicest fruit all over the world because of its pleasant taste and flavour. Pineapple is a good source of vitamin A and B and fairly rich in vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. It is also a source of bromelin, a digestive enzyme. In addition to being eaten fresh, the fruit can also be canned and processed in different forms.   Area of Cultivation Commercial cultivation of pineapple in India started only about four decades back. So although the conditions prevailing in large parts of our country are ideal for pineapple cultivation, it does not hold any position of importance among the major fruits cultivated in our country. It is being cultivated in high rainfall and humid coastal regions of peninsular India and hilly areas of North-Eastern region. Of late, it has been shown that pineapple can also be grown commercially in the interior plains with medium rainfall and supplementary protective irrigation. It is grown in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa on a large scale, whereas in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on a small scale.

Pineapple is a humid tropical plant. It grows well, both in the plains and also at elevations not exceeding 900 metres. It tolerates neither very high temperature nor frost. Pineapple usually flowers from February to April and the fruits are ready from July to September. Sometimes, off-season flowers appear and they produce fruits in September-December.

The choice of planting material is crucial as the performance of the plants developed depends on the materials planted. it is always advisable to use uniform size material of monotype for getting uniform growth of the plants, enabling uniform cultural operations and getting harvest at 1 time from such a field. Hence selection of right type and size of planting material is essential for commercial planting. Pineapple is commonly propagated from suckers or slips. Suckers arising from the underground parts of the plant are commonly used. Slips arise from the fruiting stem and from the crown on top of the fruit. After the fruit is harvested, stalks are cut into discs and used for propagation. Plants grown from suckers produce fruits in about 18 months, whereas those from slips and suckers propagated from disc cuttings take over two years. Studies carried out at Basti and Bangalore have indicated superiority of slips over suckers, which in turn were better than crowns. Both in suckers and slips, larger planting material resulted in more vigorous plants. Among the types and sizes of propagules tried, slips and suckers weighing around 350 and 450 g respectively were found best for yield and quality for Kew pineapple. Mass multiplication of propagation material is vital to bring fresh area under cultivation. This is possible only when a number of plantlets can be obtained from a single mother plant, unlike a few suckers or slips. It has been found possible to use leaf cuttings from the crowns of Kew pineapple for multiplication of planting material. Total 10-15 leaf cutting are made from each crown. However, these cuttings will take even more time than crowns for flowering and thus are only recommended where planting material is not available. Suckers or slips are first cured by stripping off the lower leaves, followed by drying in the sun, or in partial shade for three to four days before planting. They are planted either in flat beds, where there is no danger of water stagnating, or in shallow trenches, which are filled as the suckers grow and develop. Care should be taken to see that the grow and develop. Care should be taken to see that the bud or `heart’ of the suckers does not get buried. A planting density of 43,500 plants per hectare can be followed, keeping a distance of 30 cm between plant and plant, 60 cm between rows and 90 cm between beds. The rainy season is the best time for planting. The system of planting will vary depending on the topography of land and rainfall. There are 4 planting systems in vogue, viz. flat-bed planting, furrow planting, contour planting and trench planting.

The field is prepared by ploughing, harrowing, etc., before planting. In the hills, proper terracing is a necessity. According to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, ICAR, Government of India, the population density of 44,444 plants/ha with a spacing of 30cm x 60cm x 90cm was best for getting more yield under rainfed conditions in north Bengal.

Although pineapple is grown mostly under rainfed conditions, supplementary irrigation can help in production of good sized fruits in areas having optimum rainfall. Irrigation can also be helpful in establishment of off-season planting to maintain year-round production of fruits for feeding canning factories. Therefore in scanty rainfall areas and years and during hot weather, irrigation (wherever the facilities are existing) ensures a good crop of pineapple.

Pineapple is a shallow feeder with high nitrogen and potassium requirement. Since these nutrients are prone to heavy losses in the soil, practices relating to time of application and the form of fertilizer determine their efficient usage. Experts based on research trials conducted at a number of locations advise to give N and K₂O at 12 g each per plant. There is no need for P application. However, if the soils are poor in P, 4 g of P₂O₅/plant can be applied. Nitrogen should be applied in 6 split doses. The first dose of N can be given 2 months after planting and the last dose 12 months after planting. Potash should be given in 2 split doses. Entire P and half the dose of K can be given at the time of planting and the remaining K, 6 months after planting. Application of fertilizer under rainfed conditions has to be done when moisture is available.

Earthing up is an essential operation in pineapple cultivation aimed at good anchorage to plants. It involves pushing the soil into the trench from the ridge where trench planting is a common practice. As the pineapple roots are very shallow, the plants are eventually lodged especially under conditions of flat-bed planting in heavy rainfall areas. Lodging of plants when the fruits are developing would result in lopsided growth, uneven development and ripening of fruits. This operation becomes more important in ratoon crops, as the base of the plant shifts-up, crop after crop. High-density planting would minimize the necessity of this operation, as the plants prop each other preventing lodging.

The fruits are harvested when they just begin to yellow and the eyes become full and the bracts wither. The fruit is cut clean, retaining with it about 5 cm of the stalk. For transport, the fruits are wrapped up in straw and packed in bamboo baskets or crates in one or two layers.