Virus Diseases of Pineapple

Abstract

Pineapple (Ananas comosus Linn.) Merrill is native to tropical America and it is cultivated in many parts of the world including India for its delicious fruit having pronounced flavour and also for fibre. Pineapple cultivars are generally grouped under three categories: Cayenne, Queen and Spanish. Among them Cayenne’ is the most popular and its cultivar ‘Smooth Cayenne’ also known as ‘Kew’ and ‘Giant Kew’, is extensively grown. The pineapple crop is prone to a number fungal, bacterial and virus diseases. virus diseases cause heavy losses in yield and quality of fruits. The present chapter important viral diseases of pineapple are discussed considering their diagnosis and management strategie.