Quality of Pineapple Fruits as Influenced by Floral Induction in Ghana

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the influence of floral induction on the quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruits. Freshly harvested pineapple fruits from farmers’ managed fields that were induced by calcium carbide and non-induced (control) from Ayensudo, a major pineapple producing center in the Central Region of Ghana. The fruits were chemically analysed in the laboratory. The results revealed that moisture content of chemically induced pineapple is lower (84.3%) than the non-induced fruits (86.8%). Total sugars, sucrose and reducing sugars were all higher in induced fruits than the non-induced fruits. Organoleptic analysis showed 88.9% of the consumer preference for chemically induced fruits. Chemical induced fruits have shorter shelf-life than non-induced fruits.