(2(4):103-106)Calcium Carbide Treatment to Force the Blooming and Fruit Bearing of Pineapple Plant

This experiment was carried out at Chia-yi Experiment Station of Taiwan Agricultural Researsh Institute, in 1949-1950. Slips and suckers of Tai-Noung No. 4, a locally raised pineapple variety (Smooth-Cayenne X Singapore), were planted in October, 1948. From October, 1949 to February, 1959, 80 plants of slips, and of suckers were treated monthly by putting 1.5 g. ofcomme-rcial calcium carbide in the center of rosette. The results obtained in this experiment may be summarized as follows: The average blooming percentage of suckers and slips in control is 41.25% and 0.69% respectively, but the average blooming percentage of treated plants is more than 60% of sucker and 35% of slip. The yield of pineapple is greatly influenced by the size of the plant treated. The slips treated during the period from Oct. 1949 to Jan. 1950 produced fruits less than 500 g. in average weight thus showing no economical value. However, the treated suckers produced heavier fruits than the slips did. No matter how the size of the plant is some effects of calcium carbide on flowering and fruiting are noticeable. It is better to treat the plant when it has fully developed, at least one year after planting. The calcium carbide treatment also shows great influences on the ratoon crop. The plants of the ratoon crop will be weaker and will possess shorter leaves than those of control, if the main crop plants are treated when they are still young and small. Thus, the main crop raised from early treated slips will give a smaller and weaker ratoon crop than that from suckers treated from Oct. to Nov. 1949