The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a member of the Bromeliaceae, a large, diverse family of about 2000 species. It was introduced to Malaysia in the 16th century by the Portuguese, and it is believed to have originated from South America. The plant is a rosette-forming, herbaceous monocot, 60-20 cm tall and 90 cm – 120 cm wide and the leaves have spines at the tips. The Sarawak variety (Figure 1) is one of the common varieties planted in Malaysia for table consumption. It can be planted on well-drained sandy loams, pH 4.5–6.5. It grows well in areas with a temperature of 30˚C and annual rainfall of 500 mm – 3000 mm. Under the conventional triangular oil palm planting system, pineapple can be integrated for 1.5–2.0 years after planting the oil palm. Under double avenue planting of the oil palm, the integration can be extended several years more. The larger area between the avenues allows increased light penetration for the pineapple.

Main Research: Norkaspi Khasim