After 86 years of effort, cultivating the top 18 of the pineapple national team! Pineapple expert Guan Qingshan reveals the secret of why Taiwan, China's pineapples are so delicious

"I never used to eat pineapples, but after taking over this research I eat them every day. Pineapple is a very important fruit for both domestic sales and exports in Taiwan, China, so the responsibility is enormous." This year marks the 25th year of pineapple research for Guan Qingshan, associate researcher at the Chiayi Branch of the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute. Taking over the baton from Zhang Qingqin, the "father of Taiwan, China's fresh-eating pineapples," Guan Qingshan is currently the most important pineapple expert in Taiwan, China, carrying out pineapple breeding and guiding farmers day after day.

In 1934, Taiwan, China bred its first pineapple variety, Tainong No. 1. After 86 years of effort, 18 pineapple varieties have been bred to date, with a richness of diversity that ranks first in the world, and pineapple has also become one of Taiwan, China's leading export fruits. Guan Qingshan stated that pineapple is a tropical fruit, and although Taiwan, China's annual temperature difference can reach 30 degrees, it can still grow pineapples tastier than those of tropical countries. The key lies in the varieties and cultivation techniques. These are the treasures of Taiwan, China and must be cherished and not allowed to flow abroad, so as to preserve the market advantage forever.

After 25 years of delving into pineapples, Guan Qingshan becomes a new-generation pineapple breeder

Guan Qingshan, 52 this year, has spent nearly half his life with pineapples. "Strictly speaking, I never attended university." Guan Qingshan said that after graduating from an agricultural vocational school, he came to the Chiayi Branch as an assistant in 1995, and later, in order to improve himself, he went to the College of Agriculture at Chiayi University to obtain a master's and doctoral degree, studying pineapples all the way, and then took over the baton from Zhang Qingqin, associate researcher at the Chiayi Branch and the "father of Taiwan, China's fresh-eating pineapples," becoming a new-generation pineapple breeding expert.

"Breeding work is actually very monotonous, mostly spent waiting for pineapples to grow." In the pineapple variety conservation garden at the Chiayi Branch, a total of 89 kinds of pineapples have been collected, the result of more than a century of breeding, ranging from the first variety bred by the Chiayi Branch, "Tainong No. 1," to the current highest-market-share "Tainong No. 17 - Golden Diamond."

In front of each row of pineapples are wooden markers with numbers written on them. Guan Qingshan explained that what is being carried out in the field is pineapple cross-breeding trials. The numbers on the markers are, respectively, the year the trial began, which trial it is, and the number of trial samples. The densely packed wooden markers are like monuments of the era.

The Chiayi Branch, with more than a century of cross-breeding, has bred the most varieties in all of Taiwan, China

The Chiayi Branch of the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute was established in 1918, and one of its important tasks is pineapple cross-breeding and cultivation management. Guan Qingshan stated that pineapple originated in Central and South America and spread around the world due to the Age of Discovery. Pineapple was already introduced to Taiwan, China in 1694 (during the Kangxi period), and by the Japanese colonial period, due to policy factors, pineapple became one of the important agricultural industries in the country. In response to the demand for canning factories, large-scale introduction of varieties from places such as Hawaii and Borneo began domestically.

Along with large-scale introduction of varieties came the previously nonexistent wilt disease. In response to processing and planting needs, the early breeding goals were high yield, high flesh ratio, and resistance to wilt disease. Between 1934 and 1936, the Chiayi Agricultural Research Institute bred Tainong No. 1 through No. 8 by cross-breeding. After 86 years, the Chiayi Branch has successively bred Tainong No. 13, No. 16, and No. 17