Kew (Giant Kew)

NHB describes Kew as valued particularly for its canning quality: a 2-3 kg oblong fruit, broad shallow eyes and light-yellow, almost fibreless, juicy flesh. KAU describes Mauritius as exclusively a table pineapple, with a fruit of 1.36 to 2.25 kg, sold fresh and used for juice. Bigger fruit with shallow eyes means less waste at the peeling and coring line. One thing to watch: KAU says fruits with multiple crowns, which are unfit for canning, run in the Cayenne group that Kew belongs to.

Use TNAU's 50 t/ha, which it gives as the average of a well-kept orchard, as your planning figure. The Cooch Behar trial measured 89.70 t/ha without crown for Kew, but that was one trial on research plots, and the paper's own table puts Mauritius at 57.54 and Queen at 54.96. KAU's Mauritius guide shows how density moves yield: 25 to 35 t at 20,000 to 25,000 plants/ha and 50 to 60 t at 43,300 to 50,000. Kerala's state average, for all pineapple, is 8.2 t/ha, so a wide gap between best practice and the average is normal.

Suckers and slips. KAU says they come to bearing earlier and give larger fruit than crowns. TNAU asks for 300 to 350 g suckers and slips for Kew, with a slanting cut at the base and a dip in mancozeb 0.3% or carbendazim 0.1%. KAU's Mauritius guide adds that planting material should be graded by weight, under 500 g, 500 to 750 g and over 750 g, and planted in separate blocks so plants flower together, and cured in shade for 8 to 10 days before planting. Because Kew makes few suckers and slips, book planting material early.

TNAU gives two options for the 35 to 40 leaf stage: NAA 10 ppm with 2% urea, or 2% urea with 0.04% sodium carbonate and 20 ppm ethephon, either way 50 ml poured into the crown of each plant. After the fruit forms, a spray of NAA 200 to 300 ppm is meant to increase fruit size. KAU adds that for its ethephon schedule the pour should be repeated if rain falls within 36 hours. Check the dose and the leaf count with your nearest KVK before treating a whole block.

Yes. TNAU says most varieties are managed as one plant crop and two ratoon crops. After the plant crop, KAU advises keeping only one or two suckers on each mother plant, removing the extra suckers and all slips, chopping the side leaves of the mother plant for easy work and earthing up. In the KAU Mauritius guide yield falls steadily from the first year to the third. Kew makes few suckers, so some mother plants may have too few to keep; check the stand before you decide.