It can be grown in a wide range of soils but well drained sandy loam soil is most preferred.

It is a crop of tropics but it can also thrive well in subtropical situation. The plant however cannot tolerate frost or temperature near 0C. It needs a sunny climate, optimum day and night temperatures for pineapple were reported to be 30C and 20c respectively. Optimum rainfall ranges from 1000-1500 mm. Successful production in low rainfall areas require good annual distribution of rainfall and water conserving management practices such as use of plant litter/plastic mulches. In high rainfall areas, good drainage is important because the pineapple root system is very sensitive to water logging.

It is a perennial crop grown for its fruits and used as a fresh and processed product like jam, jelly, etc. pineapple has been described as an excellent source of Vit-C and is also a good source of Vit-A and B. Pineapple stems and fruits area possible commercial source of a protease called ‘Bromelain’.

Asexual method are employed to propagate Pineapple commercially. There are three main types of planting materials – Suckers, Slips and Crown. Axillary shoots originating from base of the plant are called suckers. Side shoots of the suckers or those originating just below the fruits are named slips and the leaf are rosette on top of the fruit is the crown. Suckers above ground are cut from the mother plant one month after the peak fruit harvest, slips are taken from the plants 2 – 3 months following the peak harvest. When use in propagation, crowns are taken either before or at the time of harvest. Slips will produce fruits 18 – 20 months after planting. Suckers at about 15 -18 months and crown at above 20 -24 months. For commercial use slips are most preferred of size 40 – 45 cm in length and 450 – 500 g in weight.

The best time for planting is onset of rainy season, but except severely cold winter months the crop can be set into field any time of the year with irrigation. Suckers or slips are usually planted in 10 – 15 cm deep holes. High density has become popular in most of the Pineapple areas. More often a double row system is adopted with a spacing of 30 x 60 x 90 cm means 30 cm in the row, 60 cm between row and 90 cm between beds. At these spacing 44,444 plants can be adjusted in 1 ha area. These system is most convenient for harvesting and field entry, and seems generally the best system for Pineapple.

Fertilizer dose varies greatly with fertility status of the soil, plant density, and variety being grown and climatic condition of the area. Two or three application of N are made at 0, 3 and 6 months making a total of about 400 kg/ha. K is supplied at 250 – 500 kg/ha and phosphate at 150 – 250 kg/ha.

Flower initiation begins in November and continues throughout the winter. Under natural conditions flowering is highly irregular and some plant may fail to produce fruit thus in commercial practice growth regulators such as ethylene and NAA are used to force plant to flower. NAA is used at the rate 25 ppm and ethephon @ 50 ppm. Application to the rosette gives better result to the leaf bases and bright weather is favourable.

The period from planting to harvest of the plant crop is 1 – 2 years and normally the plant crop is followed by one ratoon crop. If the climatic condition are favourable, the crop will continue to bear fruits but the quality will rapidly decline after the first ratoon. Hence crop regulation is followed by promoting flower initiation either by chemical treatments such as spray of ethylene etc and creating a drought or water deficit situation. A period of upto 6 months before setting of the naturals fruit appears to be satisfactory for treatment.

Pineapple fruit is hand harvested. Fruit maturity is judge on the extent of eye development degree of flatness) and yellowing. The yield varies according to variety, plant density, crop management, soil and climatic condition of the area. From a well manage plantation a yield of 40n- 50 ton/ha is produced.