Pineapples Cultivated by Conventional and Organic Methods in a Soil from a Banana Plantation. A Comparative Study of Soil Fertility, Plant Nutrition and Yields

A comparative study on conventional and organically grown pineapples cultivated in a soil from a banana plantation has been carried out in the Canary Islands. Garden waste compost was used as fertilizer in the organic treatment and current NPK fertilization in the conventional one. Soil pH, and available Ca and Mg were higher with the compost. “D” leaf N, K, Ca and Mg levels of plants from the conventional treatment exceeded those from the organic one, but only N seemed to influence yields. Foliar Cu and Zn were higher in plants from the compost treatment, but apparently this did not affect pineapple production. Fruits from both treatments had similar size and total weight, and free acids and sugar contents. The weight without crown of the fruits from the conventional treatment was significantly higher.