The effects of ethephon, applied at concentrations of 475 and 950 ppm alone or with urea at 2%, on the flowering of pineapple, were studied in a field experiment. At 60 days after appl ication, the treatment with 950 ppm of ethephon alone showed higher percentage of emerged inflorescences than that with 475 ppm, but this concentrations plus urea was superior than 950 ppm alone. The highest number of inflorescences, over 50%, was achieved with 950 ppm of ethephon plus urea, while the check remained in vegetative stage. At 116 days after application, all plants showed emerged inflorescences except in the check where only 4,6% reached that stage. The addition of urea to ethephon enhanced sig ni fi cative ly the efi ciency of this product in anticipate flowering. The time necessary to obtain 100% of emerged inflorescence were 74, 95, 95 e 116 days after application for 950 ppm of ethephon + urea at 2%, 950 ppm of ethephon, 475 ppm of ethephon + urea at 2% and 475 ppm of ethephon, respectively.
ethephon; flowering; urea; pineapple