What's eating my md-2 gold pineapple?

Like all pineapple cultivars, MD-2 Gold is most vulnerable to the pineapple mealybug, which vectors wilt disease and causes leaf-tip reddening and plant collapse. Soil nematodes attack roots and slash yields. Spider mites flare in dry heat. Ant management is critical, as ants farm and protect mealybug colonies.

Sap-sucking in leaf axils and roots; vectors pineapple wilt virus, turning leaf tips red before the whole plant collapses. Eliminate ant colonies with baits; drench soil with insecticidal soap or approved systemic insecticide; plant wilt-tested material.

Root galling stunts uptake; plants yellow, fruit remains small, and stand productivity falls sharply. Pre-plant soil fumigation or solarisation; rotate with non-host crops; use certified clean slips.

Bronze stippling across leaves; foliage looks dusty and dry in hot weather. Increase irrigation frequency; apply neem oil or miticide spray, focusing on leaf undersides.