Pineapple disease and butt rot
Planting pieces turn red then black inside from the cut ends and smell like ripe pineapple, and the shoots die or stay stunted and yellow.
Crops it strikes
What you see
When to act
Two to three weeks after planting, check the gaps: setts or slips that rot red, then black, from the cut ends with a fruity smell show the disease. There is no cure in the field, so treat planting material whenever the soil is wet or cool and sprouting will be slow, and treat fruit butts within a few hours of harvest.
What to spray
- CarbendazimFRAC 1ShopeeLazada
- PropiconazoleFRAC 3ShopeeLazada
- ProchlorazFRAC 3ShopeeLazada
- AzoxystrobinFRAC 11ShopeeLazada
- NatamycinFRAC 48ShopeeLazada
- TriflumizoleFRAC 3ShopeeLazada
Active ingredients only, never brands. The FRAC group tells how it works: switch to a different group next time, so the disease does not learn to survive it. Spray only when the damage is worth the cost, and only with products registered with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority for your crop. Follow the label. The Shopee and Lazada links only show who sells something with that active ingredient, not a recommendation of any seller or product.
How to prevent it
- Cut setts with three buds or more and plant them within a day. Long setts and quick planting cut the risk.
- Plant in warm, well drained soil and not too deep, so the buds sprout fast.
- Cure pineapple crowns and slips in the shade for some days before planting, so the cut ends dry.
- Handle fruit gently, cut the stalk clean, cool the fruit quickly, and keep the packing area clean.
- Disinfect cane knives and keep harvest bins clean.
Natural enemies and biological help
- Trichoderma on setts and slips helped in some trials. Use it with, not instead of, a clean dip.
Not sure it is this one?
Many diseases look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.