Fruit quality of a traditional pineapple cultivar (Turiaçu) compared to the most popular cultivar (Pérola) in Brazil

Turiaçu is a traditional pineapple cultivar in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, and its fruits have high potential for the fresh fruit market due to consumer acceptance. This cultivar is in the process of domestication, but information on the quality of its fruits and their standards for marketing is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biometric and chemical characteristics of the Turiaçu pineapple cultivar and the Pérola cultivar, which are grown in the main pineapple producing areas—Turiaçu, and São Domingos do Maranhão—in the state of Maranhão. The fruits were harvested at the green stage to evaluate the following biometric characteristics: fruit weight, infructescence weight, pulp yield, crown, peel and total residues, and base to apex diameter ratio; and the following chemical characteristics—total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), and TSS to TTA chemical ratio. The Turiaçu cultivar presented higher fruit and infructescence weights, more cylindrical fruits, and pulp with higher TSS concentration and less acidity, compared to the Pérola cultivar. Fruits of the Turiaçu cultivar had more desirable biometric and chemical qualities for the consumer market— they were large, cylindrical, sweet, and with low acidity—, compared to those of the Pérola cultivar.