MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE-NNEWS BRIEF: Antigua Black Pineapple Technical Activities
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation (IICA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Caribbean Agriculture Research Development Institute (CARDI) and other partners over the past three weeks has undertaken several technical activities under the rehabilitation of the Antigua Black Pineapple project.
Caribbean CARDI through its technical program has been monitoring and evaluating the plantlets, applying several management techniques such as fertilizer application, in addition to pest and disease control of the tissue-cultured plantlets for the past 3 weeks after arrival.
The institute has applied various agronomy practices in an effort to reduce the mortality of the plantlets. Currently, of the 5000 plantlets received there have been an 85% survival rate thus far, since the plants were transferred to the nursery.
After the weaning and hardening period these plantlets are expected to be transplanted to the Cades Bay Pineapple Station between January-February, 2025.
The land preparation of the 1.2 acre of land designated for these pineapple plants at the Cades Bay Pineapple Station was completed and the installation of the drip irrigation system has started and should be completed by the end of November 2024.
A plastic mulch system will also be installed before the end of November which will help to reduce the loss of soil moisture by evaporation, in addition to the reduction of weed growth, during the growth and development of the pineapple plants.
It is expected that the 2nd tranche of 5000 tissue cultured Antigua Black Pineapple plantlets is expected to arrive in Antigua by the 1st week of December which will be managed by CARDI.
The Rehabilitation of the Antigua Black Pineapple is funded by the IICA-DG Single Fund which aims to provide technical and financial support to help improve the genetic resources of the Antigua Black Pineapple through tissue culture materials which will help in the conservation of the local fruit in Antigua and Barbuda.
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