Breeding and identification of promising Mauritius x Kew pineapple hybrids with high heterosis for fruit and plant traits
Leading cultivars of pineapple Mauritius and Kew were hybridized and 25 hybrids were evaluated under open field conditions, using randomized block design with two replications. Performance of the female parent cum check variety Mauritius, male parent Kew and check variety in Kerala state, India, Amritha, were also evaluated and compared. Based on the performance, heterobeltiosis, average heterosis and standard heterosis over two check varieties, in each hybrid, for 10 plant growth traits and 24 fruit traits, were calculated. For fruit weight, hybrid H35 had the highest heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis over Amritha whereas H62 had highest standard heterosis over Mauritius and average heterosis. For pulp weight, hybrid H17 had the highest values for all heterosis parameters. For TSS, hybrid H62 had the highest heterobeltiosis and other parameters were highest in H43. For days to attain physiological maturity, crown weight, peel weight and acidity, H27, H30, H77 and H43, respectively were lowest in all heterosis parameters. Based on the selection criterion [{sum}average heterosis (fruit weight, TSS, pulp weight) - {sum}average heterosis (crown weight, peel weight, eye profile, eye relative surface, time taken for physiological maturity, acidity)] developed using the average heterosis values for desirable and undesirable fruit traits, six hybrids H66, H17, H59, H43, H70 and H35 were identified for further evaluation. The identified hybrids also satisfied the requirements in fruit weight ([≥]1.0 kg), pulp weight ([≥]750.58 g), TSS ([≥]14.49 {circ}Brix), days to attain physiological maturity ([≤]185.70 days), crown weight ([≤]305.50 g), peel weight ([≤]159.27 g) and acidity ([≤]1.05).