Enhancing sustainability and resilience in Réunion Island's pineapple cropping system through agroecological diversification
The "Queen Victoria" pineapple is a crop of great economic importance in Réunion, but its intensive production methods and heavy use of inputs and plastic mulch have raised concerns about the environmental impact. To address these concerns, an experiment was carried out at the CIRAD experimental station in Bassin Plat in 2021, aimed at developing a pesticide-free and agroecologically intensified pineapple production system. The experiment involved introducing functional biodiversity (cover crops) and an associated crop (banana, the third most important fruit in Réunion) to assess their impact on the pineapple crop and weed control. The results showed that the introduction of agroecological practices did not significantly increase the duration of the pineapple cycle, with yields equivalent to 40 t/ha under monoculture conditions. The use of double pineapple ridges consisting of two rows was found to be more effective in terms of flowering, yield, and fruit quality compared to single ridges consisting of four rows. Effective weed control was achieved by using an appropriate technical itinerary that targeted weed growth on the ridge, in the inter-ridge, and in the plot. However, the weed control efficiency was highly dependent on the presence of certain species such as Cyperus rotundus or Urochloa eminii, which could affect the development cycle of the pineapple or cover crops. The experiment showed that it is possible to produce pineapples in a diversified context without the use of pesticides in Réunion Island. This approach could help to limit the environmental impact of pineapple production, meet societal demand, and generate decent incomes for producers.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | conference_item biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
ISHS
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| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/606275/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/606275/1/Poster_ISHS_VF.pdf |
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