Abstract: The present study evaluated the effect of different levels of fertigation with and without black polythene mulch on the yield and physico-chemical characteristics of the pineapple variety “Simhachalam”. The study was conducted on plant and ratoon crops at Precision Farming Development Centre, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India. The experiment followed a randomized block design with seven treatments replicated three times. Treatments included 100, 80 and 60 % of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) applied through fertigation with and without black polythene mulch and a control (100 % RDF applied conventionally without mulch). In the planted crop, fertigation at 100 % RDF with black polythene mulch produced the highest fruit weight without crown (1028.2 g), fruit length (18.4 cm), fruit circumference (37.5 cm), pulp weight (810.2 g), and yield (55.9 t/ha). Additionally, the 80% RDF with mulch treatment achieved the highest T.S.S (15.2 °Brix), T.S.S: titratable acidity ratio (40.1), reducing sugar (4.5%), and total sugar (12.3%). The highest benefit-cost ratio (2.17) was also recorded with 100% RDF and mulch. Similar trends were observed in the ratoon crop. Fertigation at 100% RDF with mulch resulted in the highest fruit weight without crown (932.7 g), fruit length (17.7 cm), fruit circumference (35.3 cm), pulp weight (732.8 g), and yield (46.8 t/ha). The 80% RDF with mulch treatment maintained the highest T.S.S (15.2 °Brix), T.S.S: titratable acidity ratio (33.8), reducing sugar (4.6%), and total sugar (12.1%). The benefit-cost ratio was highest (2.86) for 100% RDF with mulch. Treatments without mulch generally showed lower yields and poorer quality parameters than mulched treatments. The control treatment (conventional method without mulch) also demonstrated significantly lower performance across most parameters. These findings suggest that adopting fertigation with black polythene mulch, even at reduced fertilizer levels (80% RDF), significantly improves yield and quality parameters in pineapple cultivation, making it a cost-effective and productive approach.
