Queen
An old table-and-processing cultivar with a 1–1.5 kg fruit, golden crisp aromatic flesh and 15–16 degrees Brix (NHB). In a West Bengal trial it was among the sweetest, at 18.00 degrees Brix, but gave less fruit than Kew.
Quick facts
- Type
- Sucker / slip (clonal cultivar)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- About 15–16 months from planting to harvest in one West Bengal trial
- Expected yield
- 54.96 t/ha without crown in one West Bengal trial
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam or laterite, strongly acidic (pH 5.0–6.0)
- Disease resistance
- No Queen-specific disease record found; watch drainage and mealybugs like any pineapple
- Release
- An old cultivar grown in several countries; no Indian release notice found
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Queen is one of the oldest pineapple cultivars. NHB says it is grown mainly in Australia, India and South Africa for table and processing, with a fruit of 1 to 1.5 kg that turns golden-yellow when mature. The flesh is deep golden-yellow, crisp and less juicy than Cayenne, with a pleasant aroma. Acidity is 0.6 to 0.8% and TSS of 15 to 16 degrees Brix. KAU lists Queen among the varieties grown in Assam and the north-east, in Kerala, and in West Bengal. The West Bengal trial paper calls it the most preferred table variety of homestead gardens in the north-eastern states. Mauritius and the Assam types Jaldhup and Lakhat are placed in the same Queen group.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Queen if you sell small, sweet, aromatic fruit to a table market and do not need cannery weight. NHB describes it as an old cultivar grown for table and processing, with a fruit of 1-1.5 kg, deep golden flesh that is crisp rather than very juicy, and a pleasant aroma. The Cooch Behar trial of 2014-16 backs the sweetness: Queen measured 18.00 degrees Brix, almost level with Mauritius at 18.10 and ahead of Kew at 15.29. It also made the most slips after Haricharanvita, so planting material is easy to find. The cost is yield: 54.96 t/ha without crown, against 89.70 for Kew, and a fruit of 1,197 g against Kew's 1,877 g. It took about as long as Kew from planting to harvest, so it is no faster.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Very sweet in the Cooch Behar trial: 18.00 degrees Brix, level with Mauritius and above Kew.
- Crisp, deep golden, aromatic flesh that suits eating fresh.
- Makes plenty of slips and suckers, so planting material is easy to get.
Things to consider
- Small fruit, 1 to 1.5 kg (NHB), and 54.96 t/ha in the trial against 89.70 for Kew.
- Flowered at 351.29 days in the trial, later than Kew and Mauritius, so it is not an early crop.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Assam
- West Bengal
- Kerala
Queen, Mauritius, Jaldhup and Lakhat: one family, four names
Sellers use the Queen name loosely, so know what the sources say. NHB puts Jaldhup and Lakhat in the Queen group and calls them smaller than Queen. KAU says the Vazhakulam pineapple, which it calls Kannara, belongs to the Queen cultivar (Mauritius) and that Mauritius is also known internationally as Malacca Queen and Red Ceylon. In the West Bengal trial paper, Mauritius is described as the best table variety under the Queen group.
The numbers show these are not the same fruit. In the Cooch Behar trial, Queen gave 54.96 t/ha and a fruit of 1,197 g, and Mauritius gave 57.54 t/ha and 1,109 g, but Mauritius flowered earlier (325.75 days against 351.29), reached harvest sooner after flowering (109.45 days against 120.77) and flowered in 98.34% of plants against 88.89%. If you are buying planting material, ask for the exact name and the place the mother plants grew, and compare fruit from the mother field before you buy.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is raised from suckers taken off the mother plant, so you can multiply it yourself. Pick sturdy suckers of even size from healthy, well-yielding clumps, and never from one that looked diseased or stunted — the new plant inherits whatever the mother had. For a clean start, take planting material from a registered nursery or a government farm.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Pineapple (Ananas) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amritha | Kerala farmers who want a compact plant with a small crown; test a small block first | 13–15 months (KAU description) | No KAU yield figure found; 33.74 t/ha without crown in one West Bengal trial | Kerala, West Bengal |
| Jaldhup | Local markets that know its flavour; a small trial block beside Queen or Kew | Not published for Jaldhup | No variety figure published | Assam |
| Kew (Giant Kew) | Canning, juice and large fresh fruit; Assam, West Bengal, Kerala | About 15–24 months from planting to harvest | 89.70 t/ha without crown in one West Bengal trial; TNAU puts a well-kept orchard at 50 t/ha | Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Lakhat | Local markets that sell it by name; verify the planting material before you buy | Not published for Lakhat | No variety figure published | Assam |
| Mauritius (Vazhakulam) | Sweet table fruit for distant markets; Kerala, Meghalaya, trial success in West Bengal | Flowers 7–8 months after planting; first harvest in about a year with ethephon (KAU) | 50–60 t/ha a year at 43,300–50,000 plants/ha, falling year by year (KAU) | Kerala, Meghalaya, West Bengal |
| MD-2 (Super Sweet) | Premium and export fruit where long shelf life is paid for; plant a trial block first | About 15 months from planting to harvest in one West Bengal trial; KAU says it can be picked by the 12th month | 36.45 t/ha without crown in one West Bengal trial; no Indian commercial yield figure found | Kerala, West Bengal |
| Queenthis page | Sweet, aromatic fresh fruit in small sizes; Assam, West Bengal, Kerala | About 15–16 months from planting to harvest in one West Bengal trial | 54.96 t/ha without crown in one West Bengal trial | Assam, West Bengal, Kerala |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Pineapple (Ananas) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Pineapple (Ananas) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Pineapple (Ananas) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Pineapple (Ananas) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Pineapple (Ananas) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Pineapple (Ananas) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Queen sweeter than Kew?
In the one West Bengal trial that measured both, yes: Queen reached 18.00 degrees Brix TSS against 15.29 for Kew, and its TSS to acid ratio was 27.13 against 22.58. NHB gives the same direction in its own ranges: 15 to 16 degrees Brix for Queen and 12 to 16 for Kew. Sweetness moves with ripeness, weather and feeding, so do not read the gap as fixed. What Queen does not match is Kew's size and yield.
How big is a Queen fruit?
NHB gives 1 to 1.5 kg. The Cooch Behar trial weighed 1,196.56 g a fruit for Queen, against 1,877.10 g for Kew and 1,109.45 g for Mauritius. KAU grades Vazhakulam pineapple by weight: class A is above 1,500 g, B is 1,100 to 1,500 g, C is 800 to 1,100 g, D is 550 to 800 g and baby is under 550 g. A Queen fruit of about 1,200 g therefore falls in grade B on KAU's scale. Ask your buyer how he grades before you agree a price.
Can Queen go to a cannery?
NHB lists Queen as grown for both table and processing, but it also says the flesh is less juicy than Cayenne. NHB rates Kew, not Queen, as the variety valued for canning, with its larger fruit, shallow eyes and almost fibreless flesh. The Cooch Behar trial counted 107.48 eyes on a Queen fruit against 115.80 on Kew, which is not a big gap, but fruit weight is: 1,197 g against 1,877 g. Get a written yes from the cannery for Queen before you plant for it.
Where does the Queen planting material come from?
From the plant itself. Queen is propagated by suckers and slips, and the Cooch Behar trial counted 2.19 suckers and 2.09 slips a plant, which is more than Kew (1.56 and 1.48) or MD-2 (1.47 and 1.22). KAU advises suckers of 400 to 500 g or slips of 350 to 450 g, cured in shade for 8 to 10 days, and taken only from healthy plants free of pests. Removing slips as soon as they reach planting size, KAU says, helps the fruit mature earlier. That gives you a planting stock to sell as well, so keep the best mother plants marked.
Sourced from: NHB — Pineapple varieties (Kew, Queen, Mauritius, Jaldhup, Lakhat), Morphological characterization and performance of pineapple varieties in northern West Bengal — Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 92(5), 2022 (Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya), Pineapple varieties — Pineapple Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Production technology for Vazhakulam Pineapple (Mauritius) — Pineapple Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University (Joy, 2010). editorial policy.