MD-2 Pineapple

MD-2 is a hybrid pineapple originated originated from the crossbreeding from crossing Cayenee and Qween in the breeding program of the Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii, which conducted research on behalf of Del Monte, Maui Pineapple Company and Dole. Two similar seedlings, numbered 73-114 and 73-50, were found to have bright-gold, very sweet, low-acidity flesh, high resistance to parasites and internal rot, skin that turned amber when ripe and, best of all, the ability to survive cold storage for up to two weeks.

Del Monte took 73-114, which it dubbed MD-2 after the name of Millie Dillard, the wife of the general manager of the Maui Pineapple Company for its commercial cultivation in Costa Rica in 1996 and in 1997 began marketing its Gold Extra Sweet pineapple, known internally as MD-2. Del Monte also began marketing 73-50, dubbed CO-2, as Del Monte Gold. At present MD-2 has occupied 50-55% of world market and 70-75% of European market in fresh pineapple.