‘Unemat Rubi’, a new spineless pineapple cultivar and resistant to fusariosis for the international market

Abstract

Abstract Pineapple cultivation worldwide depends on a limited number of cultivars. In Brazil, the cultivar ‘‘Pérola’’ accounts for 85% of the commercial planted area but is susceptible to fusariosis, the most significant disease affecting pineapple crops. This study introduces the cultivar ‘Unemat Rubi’, emphasizing its superior fruit quality and resistance to fusariosis through multivariate analyses, correlation networks, and genetic parameters. Eighteen genotypes were evaluated for qualitative and quantitative traits and resistance to fusariosis, using a randomized block design with five replications and 20 plants per plot. The genotypes were grouped into two main clusters based on their resistance or susceptibility to fusariosis. ‘Unemat Rubi’ was classified in Cluster I, along with its female parent (‘BRS Imperial’), sharing resistance to fusariosis, cylindrical fruits with yellow pulp, and no leaf spines. However, ‘Unemat Rubi’ was superior to ‘BRS Imperial’ in terms of fruit weight and diameter, presenting a mass above 1.5 kg and an average diameter above 10 cm. No correlations were observed between the groups of chemical and physical traits of fruit and resistance to fusariosis, only between the groups of physical and chemical traits. There was a high and positive correlation for FMWOC and FMWC (0.99) and a strong and significant correlation between DLL with FMWOC and FMWC, both with 0.74. Heritability estimates exceeded 90% for most traits, except for fruit diameter. The cultivar ‘Unemat Rubi’, registered at the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock under number 56,622, represents a significant advancement in pineapple breeding by integrating superior fruit quality with fusariosis resistance, making it a promising candidate for commercial expansion.