Abstract
This study evaluates the effects of spacing, and of N and K2O on Cabezona pineapple, a big fruit planted solely for the fresh market and grown in an Inceptisol at Lajas, Puerto Rico. Treatment differentials consisted of 3 spacings (30.5, 46 and 61 cm) between plants within the row, 61 cm between rows and 132 em between double rows. Significant fruit yield increases occurred with treatment differentials. Up to 88.4 t/ha were obtained from plants spaced 30.5 cm and receiving 224 and 252 kg/ha of N and K2O, respectively. Fruit weight increased as spacing increased. The mean values were 2.9, 3.4 and 3.9 kg for the 30.5, 46 and 61 cm spacings, respectively. The greater number (19,442 fruits/ha) of the largest marketable fresh fruits (about 3.6 kg each) were obtained from plots spaced 46 x 61 x 132 cm, with 336 kg N and 168 kg K2O/ha. Close planting significantly reduced the number of slips per plant, values ranging from 2.7 to 8.7.